title: Prevalence of postpartum infections: a population-based observational study.
abstract: We investigated the prevalence of postpartum infections among women giving birth during 1 year in a population-based observational/questionnaire study at seven hospitals in the southeast region of Sweden. Of the women >99% (n = 11,124) received a questionnaire to inquire if they had endometritis, mastitis, or wound, urinary tract or any other infection within 2 months postpartum and whether they received antibiotics for this. Prevalence rates for infections and antibiotic treatment were estimated. The response rate was 60.1%. At least one infectious episode was reported by 10.3% of the women and 7.5% had received antibiotics. The prevalence for infections with and without antibiotics were, respectively, mastitis 4.7% and 2.9%, urinary tract infection 3.0% and 2.4%, endometritis 2.0% and 1.7%, wound infection 1.8% and 1.2%. There was no inter-county difference in infection prevalence. Clinical postpartum infections in a high-resource setting are relatively common.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; Ryhov County Hospital, Jönköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Axelsson
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blomberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004716:Endometritis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D017050:Episode of Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008413:Mastitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D011645:Puerperal Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: Infections; endometritis; mastitis; postpartum; urinary tract infection; wound infection