Bacteraemia and pelvic infection in women due to Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis

Abstract

During a 22-month period, pelvic infection with bacteraemia that was due to genital mycoplasmas was diagnosed in 12 adult patients at the Royal Women's Hospital. Mycoplasma hominis was isolated from seven patients and Ureaplasma urealyticum from five patients. Infections occurred postpartum in seven patients (in three patients after a vaginal delivery and in four patients after a caesarean section) and after gynaecological procedures in five patients. All patients were moderately ill. During the same period genital mycoplasmas were isolated from the blood cultures of three newborn infants, all of whom were at risk of sepsis. Genital mycoplasmas were isolated from blood cultures with only minor modification of the previous usual blood culture procedure. During the period that was reviewed, genital mycoplasmas accounted for 35% of 34 isolates from 607 blood cultures of adult patients. Genital mycoplasmas are a common cause of febrile morbidity and pelvic infection in women after genital tract procedures or delivery.