[Peripartal infections]

Infections are still the most frequent peripartal complications. Very often they are nosocomial (hospital acquired) infections. Diagnosis and therapy of severe conditions may pose considerable problems. The most significant clinical factors in patient survival are the attentive surveillance and early recognition of the patient's disorder. The choice of antibiotics has to be done in consideration of the bacteriology of the vagina (endogenous infection). Removal of the infection site (uterus with or without adnexae) is the therapeutic procedure with the highest success rate in cases with sepsis or bacterial shock. Prophylaxis of infectious morbidity following caesarean section seems to be possible and advisable in patients with certain risk factors (labour, rupture of membranes, repeated vaginal examinations).