Fulminant sepsis after invasive prenatal diagnosis.
BACKGROUND
Sepsis is extremely rare after invasive prenatal diagnosis.


METHODS
A patient, who had undergone amniocentesis at 15 weeks, cordocentesis at 20 weeks, and repeat cordocentesis 24 hours before presentation, was admitted at 21 weeks gestation with vaginal bleeding, rupture of membranes, and intrauterine demise. Although clinical and laboratory findings were unremarkable at presentation, she rapidly developed septic syndrome with disseminated intravascular coagulation and eventually multiple organ failure. The fetus was disintegrated and the uterus had to be removed. She was discharged from the intensive care unit after 34 days. Cultures of the uterine content grew Clostridium perfringens. Review of the literature revealed 10 more cases of sepsis after transabdominal prenatal diagnosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Sepsis after prenatal diagnosis can be devastating, unless promptly diagnosed and treated.
Plachouras
Nicolaos
N
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Department of Surgery, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
Sotiriadis
Alexandros
A
Dalkalitsis
Nicolaos
N
Kontostolis
Emmanuel
E
Xiropotamos
Nicolaos
N
Paraskevaidis
Evangelos
E
D000328:Adult; D000649:Amniocentesis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003015:Clostridium Infections; D003016:Clostridium perfringens; D017218:Cordocentesis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000209:etiology*; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology