Postpartum infection

Index

  1. What is puerperal infection?
  2. Prognosis of the disease
  3. Symptoms of puerperal infection
  4. Medical tests for puerperal infection
  5. What causes puerperal infection?
  6. Can it be prevented?
  7. Treatments for puerperal infection
  8. What specialist treats it?

What is puerperal infection?

Puerperal infections consist of inflammation of the female genital area that appears in the first 15 days after childbirth due to the injuries and changes that the area undergoes during the birth of the baby. There are different types of puerperal infections:

  • Endometritis: infection in the vaginal mucosa.
  • Myometritis: infection in the muscles of the uterus.
  • Parametritis: infection of the areas surrounding the uterus.

Prognosis of the disease

Puerperal infection usually does not present serious alterations, although if it is not treated correctly and the infection is not eliminated, it could have a fatal outcome.

Symptoms of puerperal infection

The main symptoms of puerperal infection are:

  1. Muscle pain
  2. Headache
  3. High fever
  4. Foul-smelling vaginal discharge
  5. Blood clots in the pelvic veins
  6. Pus collection in the pelvis

Medical tests for puerperal infection

Tests for puerperal infections include urinalysis and uterine mucosal analysis. Occasionally a CT scan of the abdomen may be performed.

What are the causes of puerperal infection?

The main causes are:

  • Forced and long labor
  • Need for cesarean section
  • Fragments of the placenta retained in the uterus.
  • Women suffering from diabetes or anemia
  • Vaginal infection, such as bacterial vaginosis, during childbirth.
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Can it be prevented?

Puerperal infections depend very much on the circumstances in which the birth takes place and how the woman copes with them.

Treatments for puerperal infection

To cure puerperal infections, antibiotics are given intravenously until the affected woman has been fever-free for at least 48 hours. Once the fever disappears, treatment is continued orally.

What specialist treats it?

The specialist who treats puerperal infections is the expert in Gynecology.