Abstract
Antibiotic prophylaxis and advances in technology have reduced operative site infections after hysterectomy to a minimum. Pelvic infections are the most common infection type and respond promptly to a variety of parenteral single-agent and combination antibiotic regimens. Oral antibiotic regimens following parenteral therapy are unnecessary. Abdominal incision infections are less common than pelvic infections, less common than seromas or hematomas, and usually do not require antimicrobial therapy. Abscesses or infected hematomas require parenteral antimicrobial therapy, and drainage of those located above the cuff will predictably shorten therapy time. With early discharge from the hospital, many infections will not become evident until after the patient is home. For that reason, it is important that the patient's discharge instructions outline symptoms and signs associated with these infections so she can present for care at the earliest possible time.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (445.6 KB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Del Priore G., Jackson-Stone M., Shim E. K., Garfinkel J., Eichmann M. A., Frederiksen M. C. A comparison of once-daily and 8-hour gentamicin dosing in the treatment of postpartum endometritis. Obstet Gynecol. 1996 Jun;87(6):994–1000. doi: 10.1016/0029-7844(96)00054-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hager W. D., Pascuzzi M., Vernon M. Efficacy of oral antibiotics following parenteral antibiotics for serious infections in obstetrics and gynecology. Obstet Gynecol. 1989 Mar;73(3 Pt 1):326–329. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Horan T. C., Gaynes R. P., Martone W. J., Jarvis W. R., Emori T. G. CDC definitions of nosocomial surgical site infections, 1992: a modification of CDC definitions of surgical wound infections. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 1992 Oct;13(10):606–608. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Larsson P. G., Platz-Christensen J. J., Forsum U., Påhlson C. Clue cells in predicting infections after abdominal hysterectomy. Obstet Gynecol. 1991 Mar;77(3):450–452. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Soper D. E., Bump R. C., Hurt W. G. Bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis vaginitis are risk factors for cuff cellulitis after abdominal hysterectomy. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1990 Sep;163(3):1016–1023. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(90)91115-s. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- TURNER S. J. The effect of penicillin vaginal suppositories on morbidity in vaginal hysterectomy and on the vaginal flora. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1950 Oct;60(4):806–812. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9378(16)39106-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]