The Role of Bacterial Vaginosis in Infection After Major Gynecologic Surgery

[摘要] Purpose:Previous studies have reported an associationbetween bacterial vaginosis (BV) and postoperative fever and infection.This prospective study investigated whether the intermediate or definite stages of BVare risk factors for postoperative infection after major gynecologic surgery.Methods:Vaginal cultures were obtained preoperatively from 175 womenundergoing gynecologic surgery. The diagnostic criteria for BV were based on Nugent'sstandardized method of Gram stain interpretation. Postoperative fever was defined as at leastone temperature equal to 101.0℉ or greater, or two or more temperatures more than 6hours apart equal to 100.4℉ or greater.Results:Thirty-six percent of the positive-BV group developed apostoperative fever, compared with 20% of theLactobacillus-predominantgroup and 12% of the intermediate-BV group (P= 0.017).The differences between the positive-BV group and theLactobacillus-predominantgroup, and between the positive-BV group and the intermediate-BV group, with respect topostoperative fever, were statistically significant (P= 0.045 andP= 0.007, respectively). The difference between the intermediate-BVgroup and theLactobacillus-predominant group was not statistically significant(P= o.28).Conclusions:Although the association between BV and postoperativefebrile morbidity could be a spurious result of confounding with other variables, it may beprudent for the surgeon to identify patients with BV and treat them preoperatively. Infect. Dis.Obstet. Gynecol. 7:169–174, 1999.

[学科分类] 妇产科学