Katarina Eriksson

Treatment with 2% clindamycin vaginal cream prior to first trimester surgical abortion to reduce signs of postoperative infection : A prospective, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, multicenter study

Background. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) and intermediate flora is known risk‐factor for postoperative infection after surgical termination of pregnancy. Vaginal application of 2% clindamycin cream is an efficacious treatment for BV, but it is not known whether preoperative administration of clindamycin cream might reduce the signs of post‐abortion infection after surgical termination of pregnancy.

Validation of the use of Pap-stained vaginal smears for diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis

Papanicolaou‐stained cervicovaginal smears (Pap smears) are used to screen for cervical cancer. Since there is a lack of consensus in published reports respecting the efficacy of Pap‐stained smears in BV diagnostics, there is a need to validate their use for diagnosis of BV. Slides from the international BV00 workshop were Pap stained and independently analyzed by four investigators under a phase‐contrast microscope. All workshop slides—whether Pap‐stained, Gram‐stained or rehydrated air‐dried smears—were scored according to the same Nugent classification. The diagnostic accuracy of Pap smears for diagnosis of BV had a sensitivity of 0.85 and a specificity of 0.92, with a positive and negative predictive value of 0.84 and 0.93, respectively. The interobserver weighted kappa index was 0.86 for Pap‐stained smears compared to 0.81 for Gram‐stained smears, and 0.70 for rehydrated air‐dried smears using the mean Nugent score as the criterion standard. Provided that the samples are taken from equivalent locations (the vaginal fornix) and analyzed according to the same scoring criteria, there is no discernable difference in the diagnostic accuracy of the three smear‐staining methods. The Pap‐stained vaginal smears can be used as a wholly adequate alternative to Gram‐stained smears for BV diagnosis.

The prevalence of BV in the population on the Åland Islands during a 15-year period

Eriksson K, Adolfsson A, Forsum U, Larsson P‐G. The prevalence of BV in the population on the Åland Islands during a 15‐year period. APMIS 2010; 118: 903–8.

Vaginal retention of locally administered clindamycin

Eriksson K, Larsson P‐G, Nilsson M, Forsum U. Vaginal retention of locally administered clindamycin. APMIS 2011; 119: 373–6.