Skip to main content
Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology logoLink to Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology
. 2003;11(2):105–108. doi: 10.1080/10647440300025506

Bacterial Sacroiliitis Probably Induced by Lumbar Epidural Analgesia

Shimon Edelstein 1,, Yeouda Edoute 1
PMCID: PMC1852277  PMID: 14627216

Abstract

Background: Properly administered, lumbar epidural analgesia provides adequate pain relief during labor and delivery, and is considered to be a safe procedure with limited complications. The prevalence of infection after lumbar epidural analgesia is negligible.

Introduction: Infection of the sacroiliac joint, although very close to the pucture area, has never been reported as a procedure complication.

Case: In this report, we describe a patient who experienced bacterial sacroiliitis a few days after lumbar epidural analgesia for labor. No portal of entry was identified, and we evoked a new potential risk factor that has never been proposed before, namely lumbar epidural analgesia.

Conclusion: Sacroiliitis must be considered as a rare but serious complication of lumbar epidural analgesia.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (485.1 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Abbott G. T., Carty H. Pyogenic sacroiliitis, the missed diagnosis? Br J Radiol. 1993 Feb;66(782):120–122. doi: 10.1259/0007-1285-66-782-120. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Coy J. T., 3rd, Wolf C. R., Brower T. D., Winter W. G., Jr Pyogenic arthritis of the sacro-iliac joint. Long-term follow-up. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1976 Sep;58(6):845–849. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Crawford J. S. Some maternal complications of epidural analgesia for labour. Anaesthesia. 1985 Dec;40(12):1219–1225. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2044.1985.tb10664.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Delbarre F., Rondier J., Delrieu F., Evrard J., Cayla J., Menkes C. J., Amor B. Pyogenic infection of the sacro-iliac joint. Report of thirteen cases. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1975 Sep;57(6):819–825. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dunn E. J., Bryan D. M., Nugent J. T., Robinson R. A. Pyogenic infections of the sacro-iliac joint. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1976 Jul-Aug;(118):113–117. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Gordon G., Kabins S. A. Pyogenic sacroiliitis. Am J Med. 1980 Jul;69(1):50–56. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(80)90499-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Guyot D. R., Manoli A., 2nd, Kling G. A. Pyogenic sacroiliitis in i.v. drug abusers. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1987 Dec;149(6):1209–1211. doi: 10.2214/ajr.149.6.1209. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Jajić I., Fürst Z., Kraij K., Ograjsek A., Orlić D., Pećina M. Septic sacroiliitis. An analysis of 14 patients. Acta Orthop Scand. 1983 Apr;54(2):210–211. doi: 10.3109/17453678308996558. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Kerr R. Pyogenic sacroiliitis. Orthopedics. 1985 Aug;8(8):1028–1034. doi: 10.3928/0147-7447-19850801-15. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Longoria R. R., Carpenter J. L. Anaerobic pyogenic sacroiliitis. South Med J. 1983 May;76(5):649–651. doi: 10.1097/00007611-198305000-00029. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Lurie S., Priscu V. Update on epidural analgesia during labor and delivery. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 1993 May;49(3):147–153. doi: 10.1016/0028-2243(93)90263-c. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Oka M., Möttönen T. Septic sacroiliitis. J Rheumatol. 1983 Jun;10(3):475–478. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Shanahan M. D., Ackroyd C. E. Pyogenic infection of the sacro-iliac joint. A report of 11 cases. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 1985 Aug;67(4):605–608. doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.67B4.4030859. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Shapiro S. K., See C. E. Pyogenic sacroiliitis. Minn Med. 1986 Apr;69(4):201–204. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Vyskocil J. J., McIlroy M. A., Brennan T. A., Wilson F. M. Pyogenic infection of the sacroiliac joint. Case reports and review of the literature. Medicine (Baltimore) 1991 May;70(3):188–197. doi: 10.1097/00005792-199105000-00003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology are provided here courtesy of Wiley

RESOURCES