Outcomes and the Patient

INTRODUCTION Infectious vaginitis is a common clinical syndrome diagnosed in more than one quarter of women attending clinics for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) [1] and with increasing frequency in private practice [2]. Effective management of the syndrome depends on an acceptably accurate etiologic diagnosis, as the most effective therapies are narrowspectrum medications that target the specific causative organisms associated with each form of vaginitis. An accurate diagnosis can be made through the use of bedside evaluations during the patient’s first visit, but too often diagnoses are made based on symptoms described over the telephone. Although textbooks tend to emphasize the diagnostic differences among the vaginitides, a differential diagnosis based on symptoms alone is unreliable [3] due to symptom variability. This article highlights important considerations in diagnosing and treating patients with vaginitis.