[Antibiotic treatment of gynecologic and obstetric infections (author's transl)]

1. Obstetric and gynecologic infections especially ascending intrauterine infections, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and postoperative infections are usually polymicrobial infections involving enterobacteria and anaerobes. 2. The antibiotic treatment of these infections must primarily be active against the two groups of organisms mentioned. Semisynthetic penicillins, cephalosporines or aminoglycosides combined with clindamycin or one of the new large spectrum penicillins, or cephalosporines alone proved to be effective. In addition to the antimicrobial therapy surgical intervention is very often required in postoperative infections after obstetric and gynecologic surgery and for pelvic abscesses. 3. For treatment of infections in pregnancy specific side effects of antimicrobial agents concerning the mother and the fetus have to be considered. Transfer of the antibiotic to the fetus and the amniotic fluid in sufficiently high concentrations is mandatory for the treatment of intrauterine infections. 4. In cervicitis and salpingitis the possibility of a gonococcal infection has to be kept in mind.