Introduction and Objective: Reproductive tract infection and abnormal vaginal discharge affects family life and socioeconomic development with adverse pregnancy outcomes, increase morbidity and mortality with emergence of resistance to antimicrobials. The knowledge of the etiological agents of abnormal vaginal discharge, early diagnosis and selection of empiric antimicrobial therapy will be helpful for better outcomes. The present study was conducted to isolate and identify the pathogens causing abnormal vaginal discharge and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of their isolates.

Materials and Method: This is a clinico-microbiological study, prospective observational in nature, conducted in the department of microbiology, VSSIMSAR, Burla, western Odisha from November 2017 to October 2019, in collaboration with Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology after due approval from Institutional Ethical Committee.

Results: The present study was conducted on 110 clinically diagnosed cases of RTI with abnormal vaginal discharge 43.6% were in age group 26-35years followed by 36.3% in age group 36-45 years. Abnormal vaginal was higher in rural areas (65.45%) as compared to urban areas (34.54%) more prevalent among married women (60%) and higher among multigravida women (46.36%). In this study most common isolate was Candida spp. (30.9%) followed by Staphylococcus aureus (8.1%), Escherichia coli (5.45%), Klebsiella spp. (3.63%), Enterococcus spp. (1.8%) and Trichosporon asahii (1.81%).Most of the bacterial isolates were sensitive for vancomycin and Linezolid (100%) followed by Ampicillin (81.81%) in case of gram positive organisms and Meropenem(100%) followed by Amikacin(80%) in case of gram negative organisms. In antifungal susceptibility testing, most fungal isolates were sensitive to Clotrimazole (76.47%) followed by Fluconazole (58.82%).

Conclusion: Vaginal discharge was the most common clinical presentation accounting of RTI cases that too in 26-35 years and in rural females. Vulvovaginal Candidiasis most commonly caused by C. albicansand most fungal isolates were sensitive to clotrimazole.

Keywords: Reproductive tract infection (RTI), Abnormal vaginal discharge, Adverse pregnancy outcomes, Antimicrobial sensitivity pattern.

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Dr Abhijyoti Maharana

Junior Resident, Dept. of Microbiology

Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VSSIMSAR), Burla, Sambalpur, ODISHA