Are Emergency Departments Appropriately Treating Adolescent Pelvic Inflammatory Disease?

Of the almost 1 million annually diagnosed cases of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), 20% occur among adolescents.1 Because reproductive health complaints are the most common reasons for emergency department (ED) visits among adolescent females, it is critical that ED providers are knowledgeable about the diagnosis and treatment of PID. The objective of this study was to evaluate adherence to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) PID treatment guidelines among a nationally representative sample of adolescent ED PID visits.