The role of female intimate hygiene practices in the management of vulvovaginal candidiasis: A randomized, controlled open-label trial.

THERAPEUTIC use of zinc; DRUG efficacy; RESEARCH; PHENOLS; SCIENTIFIC observation; EFFECT sizes (Statistics); HYGIENE; VISUAL analog scale; CLOTRIMAZOLE; RANDOMIZED controlled trials; PRE-tests & post-tests; T-test (Statistics); COMPARATIVE studies; VULVOVAGINAL candidiasis; ITCHING; VAGINAL medication; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; PUBLIC hospitals; CHI-squared test; RESEARCH funding; CUTANEOUS therapeutics; STATISTICAL sampling; ZINC; PROPRIETARY hospitals; DATA analysis software; DISINFECTION & disinfectants; DRUG administration; DRUG dosage; EVALUATION; SYMPTOMS; THERAPEUTICS

In this multicenter, observational, controlled open-label trial, researchers randomized 200 women with vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) to: Group 1, 6-days clotrimazole 2% vaginal cream once-daily plus 15-days concomitant acid pH thymol and zinc-containing cleansing wash (SaugellaActi3) twice-daily; Group 2, 6-days clotrimazole treatment alone. In both groups, pruritus and burning VAS scores improved from baseline at Days 6, 10 and 15. On Day 10 and Day 15, the pruritus score was significantly lower in Group 1 versus Group 2 (P <0.005 at both timepoints), suggesting acid pH thymol and zinc-containing cleansing wash ameliorates VVC-associated pruritus as part of a female hygiene regimen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]