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Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Human Placental and Decidual Organ Cultures to Study Infections at the Maternal-fetal Interface
07:04

Human Placental and Decidual Organ Cultures to Study Infections at the Maternal-fetal Interface

Published on: July 21, 2016

21.0K

The microbial pathology of maternal perinatal sepsis: A single-institution retrospective five-year review

James Powell1,2, Clare M Crowley3, Brid Minihan1

  • 1Department of Microbiology, University Hospital Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.

Plos One
|December 27, 2023
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Placental swabs are valuable for identifying pathogens in maternal sepsis, yielding more positive results than other samples in a septic screen. This aids in guiding treatment for uterine infections, a common cause of perinatal issues.

Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Medical Microbiology

Background:

  • Sepsis accounts for over half of maternal deaths in hospitals, often originating from uterine infections.
  • Identifying the infection source can be difficult, delaying targeted antimicrobial therapy.
  • Microbiological cultures from the uterine cavity are challenging to obtain, limiting susceptibility data.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the clinical utility of various microbiology samples in maternal septic screens.
  • To determine the most effective specimen for identifying pathogens in suspected uterine infections.
  • To inform clinical practice regarding sample selection for maternal sepsis evaluation.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of maternal septic screen results from July 2016 to December 2021.
  • Analysis of microbiology data from high vaginal swabs, placenta swabs, blood cultures, throat swabs, and urine samples.
  • Focus on a study population of 430 patients with collected placental swabs.

Main Results:

  • Placental swabs yielded potential pathogens in 37% of cases, significantly higher than blood cultures (2%).
  • High vaginal swabs (33%) and throat swabs (9%) also showed pathogen detection.
  • Blood cultures were sterile in 95% of cases, while placental swabs were sterile in 52%.

Conclusions:

  • Placental swabs demonstrated the highest yield of potential pathogens among the examined specimens.
  • These findings support the use of placental swabs for detecting uterine pathogens, a common source of perinatal infections.
  • Optimizing septic screen sample selection can improve the management of maternal sepsis.

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