ENDOMETRIAL BACTERIOLOGY IN PUERPERAL INFECTIONS

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 185  (5) , 276-279
Abstract
From the 3rd-6th day postpartum, transcervical endometrial swabs were taken from 51 women with the clinical signs of endometritis (fever over 38.degree. C, uterine tenderness and purulent lochia)by using prereduced anaerobic transport-media. The specimens were cultured aerobically and anaerobically. There were 27 women with endometritis following vaginal delivery; there were 24 following cesarian section. Following vaginal delivery, aerobic bacteria were isolated in 85.2% of the cases and anaerobic bacteria in 62.9%; following cesarian section, 75.1% were aerobic and 83.3% were anaerobic bacteria. A mixed aerobic/anaerobic infection was found in 48.1% following vaginal delivery and in 58.4% post-cesarian section. The aerobes most frequently recovered were Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, and streptococci; the prevalent anaerobes were gram-positive anaerobic cocci, Peptostreptococcus, Peptococcus and Bacteroides spp. Thus, anaerobic bacterial may play an important role in post-partum endometritis and frequently a polymicrobial aerobic/anaerobic infection is present. Therapeutically, anaerobes should be taken into consideration especially for the treatment of severe infections following cesarian section. In such cases, the 5-nitroimidazoles, such as metronidazole, or other antibiotics effective against anaerobes such as clindamycin or cefoxitin, should be administered.