Decreased rates of nosocomial endometritis and urinary tract infection after vaginal delivery in a French surveillance network, 1997-2003.
OBJECTIVE
To identify independent risk factors for endometritis and urinary tract infection (UTI) after vaginal delivery, and to monitor changes in nosocomial infection rates and derive benchmarks for prevention.


METHODS
Prospective study.


METHODS
We analyzed routine surveillance data for all vaginal deliveries between January 1997 and December 2003 at 66 maternity units participating in the Mater Sud-Est surveillance network. Adjusted odds ratios for risk of endometritis or UTI were obtained using a logistic regression model.


RESULTS
The overall incidence rates were 0.5% for endometritis and 0.3% for UTI. There was a significant decrease in the incidence and risk of endometritis but not of UTI during the 7-year period. Significant risk factors for endometritis were fever during labor, parity of 1, and instrumental delivery and/or manual removal of the placenta. Significant risk factors for UTI were urinary infection on admission, premature rupture of membranes (more than 12 hours before admission), blood loss of more than 800 mL, parity of 1, instrumental delivery, and receipt of more than 5 vaginal digital examinations. Each maternity unit received a poster showing graphs of the number of expected and observed cases of UTI and endometritis associated with vaginal deliveries, which enabled each maternity unit to determine their rank within the network and to initiate prevention programs.


CONCLUSIONS
Although routine surveillance means additional work for maternity units, our results demonstrate the usefulness of regular targeted monitoring of risk factors and of the most common nosocomial infections in obstetrics. Most of the information needed for monitoring is already present in the patients' records.
Centre de Coordination de la Lutte contre les Infections Nosocomiales Sud-Est, University Hospital, St. Genis Laval, France. louis.ayzac@chu-lyon.fr
Louis
L
Ayzac
Emmanuelle
E
Caillat-Vallet
Raphaële
R
Girard
Catherine
C
Chapuis
Florence
F
Depaix
Anne-Marie
AM
Dumas
Chantal
C
Gignoux
Catherine
C
Haond
Joëlle
J
Lafarge-Leboucher
Carine
C
Launay
Françoise
F
Tissot-Guerraz
Agnès
A
Vincent
Jacques
J
Fabry
D000328:Adult; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004716:Endometritis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016015:Logistic Models; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology