SummaryThe frequency of anaerobes with possible clinical significance was studied in healthy pregnant and puerperal women. Only 5% of the 100 healthy pregnant women studied yielded non-sporing anaerobes of the families Bacteroidaceae and Peptococcaceaefrom vaginal swabs. However, the incidence of clinically important anaerobes in 133 puerperal women was 42%. Mixed infections were most frequent. The predominant anaerobic species was Bacteroides oralis. Patients suffering from post-partum endometritis or other infections with local pain and fever were treated with 2 g erythromycin daily for 5 days. The anaerobes isolated were, without exception, sensitive to erythromycin. With therapy, temperature returned to normal within 5 days or less. The beneficial effect of erythromycin therapy, even in mixed infections, may possibly indicate that anaerobes play an important pathogenic role in female genital tract infections.
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Werner et al. (1978) studied this question.