1/3. Universal prophylaxis for chlamydia trachomatis and anaerobic vaginosis in women attending for suction termination of pregnancy: an audit of short-term health gains.A previous study of infection and morbidity in 400 women attending for termination of pregnancy (TOP) had shown that 32 (8%) harboured cervical chlamydia trachomatis and 112 (28%) had anaerobic (bacterial) vaginosis (AV). Fifty-three per cent of the women with preoperative C. trachomatis had AV. Thirty of the 32 women with chlamydial infection were followed up and 19 (63%) of these developed post-abortion upper genital tract infection, 7 of whom needed re-admission. In view of the high morbidity in women with chlamydial infection attending for TOP, anti-bacterial prophylaxis with metronidazole suppositories and oral oxytetracycline was introduced for women attending for suction termination of pregnancy (STOP). An audit of the clinical and financial benefits and/or losses was carried out. The audit of 1951 consecutive patients attending for STOP revealed that 132 (6.8%) had chlamydial infection with equivocal results reported in a further 2 patients. One hundred and eight of the 134 women responded to recall. Full genital tract infection screening was carried out in 105 of the 108 recalled patients of whom 5 had repeat positive cervical swabs for C. trachomatis, one had trichomonas vaginalis, 24 had candidiasis and 17 had anaerobic vaginosis, none had gonorrhoea. Thirteen (12%) of the 108 women had pelvic infection as previously defined, none of whom required re-admission. At least pound sterling 20,000 has been saved each year in our trust following the introduction of pre-abortion chlamydial screening and universal antichlamydial and anti-anaerobe prophylaxis. The introduction of universal prophylaxis against C. trachomatis and AV has profoundly reduced morbidity in patients attending for TOP and has also resulted in substantial financial savings.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = pelvic infection (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/3. Perisplenitis and perinephritis in the Curtis-Fitz-Hugh syndrome.Four cases of the Curtis-Fitz-Hugh syndrome diagnosed laparoscopically and with microbiological or serological evidence of chlamydial pelvic infection are reviewed. The case histories emphasize the part played by renal angle and left upper quadrant symptoms. In one patient the surface of the spleen was affected by the same classical inflammation normally seen on the surface of the liver. In 3 patients bilateral or left-sided renal angle pain and tenderness constituted the presenting features, or a major manifestation, and in all patients renal tract investigations were entirely normal. The patient with laparoscopic perisplenitis also had perihepatitis and pelvic inflammation, the latter being florid in all cases. Perisplenitis and perinephritis are proposed as possible additional manifestations of this syndrome.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = pelvic infection (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/3. Severe pelvic infection from chlamydia trachomatis after cesarean section.A severe pelvic infection developed in a 17-year-old primigravida after a cesarean section. Multiple antibiotics were administered for presumed mixed aerobic and anaerobic infections, without improvement. Subsequently, total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy were performed. Despite negative standard cultures, her condition continued to deteriorate and she required two more exploratory laparotomies for suspected intra-abdominal abscesses. Chlamydia trachomatis and, subsequently, candida albicans were recovered from cultures of peritoneal fluid obtained after the third operation. Serological tests confirmed the presence of acute chlamydial infection. Marked clinical improvement occurred after doxycycline hyclate administration. Although genitourinary and acute pelvic inflammatory diseases due to chlamydiae have been reported previously, no case of severe pelvic infection due to this agent after cesarean section had been described, to our knowledge. Specimens should be studied specifically for chlamydiae when standard cultures demonstrate no pathogens in women suffering from documented pelvic infection.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 7keywords = pelvic infection (Clic here for more details about this article) |