Isolation of Mycoplasma hominis from blood cultures in patients with postpartum fever

Abstract

Eight women with postpartum fever are presented in whom Mycoplasma hominis was isolated from cultures of their blood. Clinical disease consisted of a mild although often prolonged febrile illness, and all but one recovered without appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Five patients demonstrated elevated convalescent titers of mycoplasmacidal antibodies. The isolates of M. hominis were recovered from routine blood cultures in the diagnostic bacteriology laboratory using blind subcultures to blood agar plates. These cases lend support to the concept that endometritis with M. hominis is a cause of postpartum fever and suggest that these organisms may be recovered with increased frequency if minor changes in standard bacteriologic technique are introduced.