[Frequency, risk factors and vaginal colonization due to Escherichia coli].

Introduction: Recent studies associate Escherichia coli with symptomatic infections at vaginal level, mainly associated to changes in the normal flora taken place by a series of factors characteristic of the host. To recognize their colonization frequency and these factors, it becomes important due to their association with perinatal complications, besides considering this colonization like the critical step preceding urinary tract infection.

Objective: To determine the frequency of colonization of Escherichia coli in 519 female patients, the role of the bacterium in the vaginal ecology likes probable cause of clinical manifestations and to recognize the associate's factors of risk with its vaginal colonization.

Methods: 519 women were studied: 350 symptomatic and 169 asymptomatic. Vaginal swab specimens were inoculated onto the routine mediums. Associations of Escherichia coli with various risk factors were examined by using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals, and statistical significance was assessed by the Chi statistic or Fischer's exact test.

Results: Overall Escherichia coli was isolated from 95 (18.3%) of the women. Factors that were significantly associated with vaginal carriage of E. coli were the age extreme groups, the climacteric, and the bad genital habits.

Conclusions: The highest frequency of vaginal colonization for Escherichia coli was presented in the population groups where there is hormonal deficiency, mainly of estrogens of the type estradiol. The vaginal colonization for E. coli doesn't associate to sexual behavior. Although E. coli doesn't produce defined symptoms at vaginal level, the relatively low carriage rate indicates that this organism should not be considered as part of the normal indigenous vaginal flora and that it should take into account due to the perinatal complication it is associated.