Vaginal antiseptics reduce the risk of perinatal infection with group B streptococci

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of dequalinium chloride (DQC; 10 mg vaginal tablets), administered shortly prior to delivery in women with group B streptococcus (GBS) infection.

Methods: This observational, longitudinal, and prospective study involved 201 pregnant women at term, potentially carriers of GBS bacteria, scheduled for induction with oxytocin and with no premature rupture of amniotic membranes.

Results: A total of 163 women (81.09%) tested positive for GBS in their first vaginal swab (pre-DQC administration). In their second swab, post-DQC administration, 48 women were positive (23.88%) and 153 (76.12%) were negative. The number of GBS-colonized women after the administration of DQC was reduced by 57.21%. In the third swab, postpartum, 57 women were positive (28.35%). None of the newborns were positive for GBS in the oropharynx swab. The median DQC exposure time was 9.98 hours. Adverse events associated with the prophylactic treatment were reported in five women (vulvovaginal irritation).

Conclusions: The administration of a single vaginal tablet of 10 mg DQC the day before induction reduced the number of GBS-colonized women by 57.21%, causing no maternal and perinatal adverse events.

Keywords:

• Group B streptococcus
• dequalinium
• colonization
• transmission

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Department of Statistics and Operational Research of the University of Granada (Spain) for their close collaboration during the design, execution, and data analysis of this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.