Facts Acute Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
- Acute pelvic inflammatory disease is an infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries or peritoneum
- Several different bacteria can cause acute pelvic inflammatory disease, the most common are chlamydia
- Symptoms can vary in intensity from mild discomfort to severe pain accompanied by malaise and fever
- Common symptoms are pain in the lower abdomen, chills, fever and yellow-green vaginal discharge
- Frequently occurring, but the exact frequency is not known
- Treated with antibiotics. Severe cases may be accompanied by damage to the fallopian tubes, leading to infertility
What is acute pelvic inflammatory disease?
Acute pelvic inflammatory disease is an infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, or peritoneum. Several different bacteria can cause acute pelvic inflammatory disease. Symptoms can vary in intensity from mild discomfort to severe pain accompanied by malaise or fever. Common symptoms are pain in the lower abdomen, chills, fever and yellow-green vaginal discharge. Bleeding disorders can also occur.
How common is acute pelvic inflammatory disease?
Frequently occurring, but there is no exact figures. More than 1,000 hospitalizations per year and the most common gynecological reason for seeking emergency care.
What causes acute pelvic inflammatory disease?
Acute pelvic inflammatory disease occurs most often by sexual transmission. The bacteria spread through the vagina and cervix of the uterus and from there to the fallopian tubes and other parts of the pelvis. There are at greatest risk of pelvic inflammatory disease, if you have many partners, has entered into a new relationship within the last three months, young or have a history of pelvic inflammatory disease.
The cause of pelvic inflammatory disease is often chlamydia infection, but other bacteria can also cause pelvic inflammatory disease. Gonorrhea is a rare cause of pelvic inflammatory disease for about 100 women a year.
Abortion (both induced and spontaneous abortion) or other interventions on the uterus increases the risk of the bacteria spreading and thus may cause pelvic inflammatory disease.
In the first 3 months after you may have set a spiral up, there is increased risk of pelvic inflammatory disease.
The following may occur infection of the uterus after childbirth ( puerperal fever ).
What are the symptoms of acute pelvic inflammatory disease?
Symptoms can vary in intensity from mild discomfort to severe pain accompanied by malaise or fever. Common symptoms are pain in the lower abdomen, chills, fever and yellow-green vaginal discharge. Bleeding disorders can also occur.
What symptoms should you pay particular attention to?
Pain, vaginal discharge while general malaise.
How is it diagnosed?
The symptoms will lead to suspicion and performs a gynecological examination. There will also be a bacterial sample from the cervix, and blood test to measure the infection counts and pregnancy test to rule out pregnancy. If the doctor is unsure of the diagnosis, refer the woman to hospital admission. It may also be necessary to conduct an ultrasound examination through the vagina, this study carried out by a gynecologist or the hospital.
What treatment is there?
Acute pelvic inflammatory disease is treated with antibiotics , ie antibacterial medicine. The treatment lasts at least two weeks.
Most cases of acute pelvic inflammatory disease can be treated with tablets. In severe cases, hospitalization and administration of antibiotics directly into the veins may be necessary.
Surgical treatment may be necessary if there develops an abscess in the abdomen.
It is recommended to rest as long as there is fever and pain. One should not have sexual intercourse until you are fully recovered. Use of condom preventive effect against pelvic infections, and also oral contraceptives appear to reduce the risk anything.
How is long-term prospects?
Most are healthy after treatment with antibiotics.
At about 25% occurs damage to the fallopian tubes as a result of the infection. This leads to increased risk of new infections, chronic pelvic pain, pain during intercourse and pregnancy outside the womb. After a pelvic becomes 10-15% of infertile patients, i.e., lose the ability to have children. The risk of damage to the fallopian tubes will be greater if you have more cases of pelvic inflammatory disease.
In rare cases, there will be a so-called pelvic abscess (abscess in the abdomen). In such cases, antibiotics alone is not sufficient. An abscess can sometimes drained with a needle through the vagina. In rare cases, surgery is needed to remove the abscess.
How do I avoid or worsen acute pelvic inflammatory disease?
Condoms protect against pelvic inflammatory disease and should be used in new or multiple partners.
