An assessment of pre-operative microbial screening on the prevention of post-abortion pelvic inflammatory disease.
Five hundred women were examined for lower genital tract infection before vaginal termination of pregnancy. Pre-operatively, Neisseria gonorrhoeae was isolated from nine women (1.8%); five of eight male partners also had gonorrhoea. All the women with gonorrhoea were treated at least 48 h pre-operatively with ampicillin and probenicid; three of them had symptoms of pelvic infection pre-operatively and one had symptoms postoperatively. Of these women, 120 (24%) had a follow-up examination within 47 days of abortion; 15 (3%) required an evacuation of retained products of conception and only 12 (2%) had mild suspected pelvic infection. Screening for Neisseria gonorrhoeae and treatment pre-operatively prevented pelvic infection in a further eight patients.
D000028:Abortion, Induced; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000453:epidemiology; D002582:Cervix Mucus / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D000292:Pelvic Inflammatory Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D011247:Pregnancy; D011300:Preoperative Care; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology