Introduction
Postpartum fever (Puerperal fever) is an inflammation and inflammatory changes in the genital area of the woman during childbirth caused by bacteria. During the birth process, minor injuries and tears occur in the mother’s birth canal. Bacteria can then migrate through these small wounds and cause postpartum fever (Puerperal fever).
Symptomatology
As long as the bacteria and the resulting inflammation remain in the uterus, patients usually do not experience any symptoms. Only when the inflammation continues to spread do the general symptoms appear. These are fever with chills, headache and dizziness.
In addition, an increased heartbeat (tachycardia) and an increased respiratory rate (tachypnea) can be detected. Anemia also occurs, with an increase in the leukocytes normally present in the blood (leukocytosis) and a shift in the blood count towards the young blood cells (left shift). Postpartum fever can lead to potentially life-threatening sepsis or/and shock. The symptoms of blood poisoning are fever or hypothermia, increased heart and respiratory rate and changes in blood count. In some cases, an inflammation of the peritoneum (peritonitis) may also occur.
When does it occur?
Postpartum fever, also known as childbed fever or Puerperal fever, is an infectious disease and can occur during the puerperium, i.e. six to eight weeks after birth. Usually, puerperal fever occurs during the early postpartum period, i.e. from 24 hours to about ten days after delivery. Puerperal fever can also occur after a miscarriage or stillbirth.
What are the causes?
The bacteria can penetrate the tissue through the wounds in the uterus and vaginal canal caused during birth and trigger an inflammatory reaction there. If the bacteria penetrate into the blood vessels and thus into the bloodstream, they can also cause blood poisoning there. There are, of course, various factors that favour the development of postpartum fever (Puerperal fever).
These include caesarean section and other surgical procedures that are also performed during natural (vaginal) birth, such as episiotomy. Frequent vaginal examinations can also promote puerperal fever. If remnants of the placenta remain in the uterus after birth, or if there is an early rupture of the bladder, which can lead to a so-called dry birth, or if there is a build-up of the lochia (lochial congestion), these are also predisposing for the development of postpartum fever. The bacteria that cause this are usually bacteria from the groups streptococci, staphylococci, Neisseria gonorrhoea or Escherichia coli. However, other bacteria belonging to the group of bacteria that do not depend on air (anaerobes) can also cause postpartum fever.
