title: Does use of an intrauterine catheter during labor increase risk of infection?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the use of an intrauterine catheter during labor is related to the occurrence of infection in mother or newborn during labor and up to 3 weeks postpartum.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a follow-up study of 1435 women who participated in a previously published multicentre randomized controlled trial in the Netherlands that assigned women in whom labor was induced or augmented with intravenous oxytocin to internal or external tocodynamometry. In the present post hoc analysis, we assessed the risk for infection, defined as a composite measure of any clinical sign of infection, treatment with antibiotics or sepsis during labor or in the postpartum period up to 3 weeks in mother or newborn.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 64 cases with indication of infection in the intrauterine catheter group (8.8%) versus 74 cases in the external monitoring group (10.4%). Relative risk: 0.91, 95% confidence interval: 0.77-1.1, and p: 0.33.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of an intrauterine catheter during labor does not increase the risk of infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Karlijn Van
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Halem
authors.forename: Jannet J H
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Bakker
authors.forename: Corine J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Verhoeven
authors.forename: Dimitri N M
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Papatsonis
authors.forename: Elisabeth D Van
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Oudgaarden
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.forename: Kitty W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Bloemenkamp
authors.forename: Ben Willem J
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Mol
authors.forename: Joris A M
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Van Der Post
mesh_terms: D000282:Administration, Intravaginal; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005323:Fetal Monitoring / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D007239:Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D007751:Labor, Induced / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D015854:Up-Regulation; D018590:Uterine Monitoring / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D014599:Uterus
chemical_list: D010121:Oxytocin