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58 - Postpartum and Postabortion Infections

from Part III - Special Populations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 December 2009

By
Lisa Rahangdale
Edited by
Rachel L. Chin
Lisa Rahangdale
Affiliation:
Instructor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
Rachel L. Chin
Affiliation:
University of California, San Francisco
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Summary

INTRODUCTION – INFECTIONS AND AGENTS

Infections prevalent in the postpartum and postabortion period include urinary tract and genital tract infections (including endometritis, septic pelvic thrombophlebitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, and tubo-ovarian abscess), as well as mastitis, pneumonia (as a complication of anesthesia), and wound infection. Approximately 6% of women develop infections after vaginal delivery or cesarean section, the majority (94%) after hospital discharge. The most common postpartum infections are mastitis and urinary tract infection. This chapter reviews genital tract infections, mastitis, and episiotomy site infections. See Chapters 32, 37, and 57 for discussions of pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and surgical wound infections.

Endometritis: Postpartum and Postabortion

Endometritis is infection of the uterus. This may include the lining of the uterus (endometrium), the muscular layer (myometrium), or the entire organ. Endometritis is a polymicrobial infection occurring either at the time of delivery or during operative procedures via exposure of the upper genital tract to vaginal flora. Pathogens include aerobic and anaerobic gram-positive cocci (group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus, coagulase-positive Staphylococcus aureus, group B Streptococcus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Enterococcus faecalis) as well as aerobic and anaerobic gram-negative agents (Escherichia coli, Gardnerella vaginalis, and Bacteroides fragilis). Other pathogens include those associated with prior sexually transmitted infection such as Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and those associated with bacterial vaginosis such as Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum.

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Emergency Management of Infectious Diseases , pp. 385 - 390
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

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References

American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology. ACOG Educational Bulletin No. 258. Breastfeeding: maternal and infant aspects. July 2000.
American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 67. Medical management of abortion. Oct 2005.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Clostridium sordellii toxic shock syndrome after medical abortion with mifepristone and intravaginal misoprostol – United States and Canada, 2001–2005. MMWR 2005 July 22;54(Dispatch):1.
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  • Postpartum and Postabortion Infections
    • By Lisa Rahangdale, Instructor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
  • Edited by Rachel L. Chin, University of California, San Francisco
  • Book: Emergency Management of Infectious Diseases
  • Online publication: 15 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511547454.059
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Save book to Dropbox

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  • Postpartum and Postabortion Infections
    • By Lisa Rahangdale, Instructor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
  • Edited by Rachel L. Chin, University of California, San Francisco
  • Book: Emergency Management of Infectious Diseases
  • Online publication: 15 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511547454.059
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Postpartum and Postabortion Infections
    • By Lisa Rahangdale, Instructor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
  • Edited by Rachel L. Chin, University of California, San Francisco
  • Book: Emergency Management of Infectious Diseases
  • Online publication: 15 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511547454.059
Available formats
×