Efficacy of post-dilatation and curettage antibiotic prophylaxis in women with dysfunctional uterine bleeding in the prevention of pelvic inflammatory disease

Abstract EN

Objective." To investigate the efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis after endometrial curettage for dysfunctional uterine bleeding in preventing pelvic inflammatory disease. Methods: Ninety women without a previous history of pelvic inflammatory disease were studied prospectively at King Hussein Medical Center between January 2001 and September 2002.

Patients were allocated into two groups; Group I (n=42) received prophylactic antibiotics for one week after dilatation and curettage and endometrial sampling and Group II (n=48) received no prophylactic treatment.

Clinical and laboratory data were recorded. Results: There were no significant differences in terms of demographic data between the two groups.

Four patients (9.5%) in the treated group developed pelvic inflammatory disease compared to five patients (10.4%) in the untreated group.

This difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Post-operative antibiotic prophylaxis in otherwise healthy women without previous history of pelvic inflammatory disease undergoing dilatation and curettage for dysfunctional bleeding does not significantly reduce the incidence of pelvic inflammatory disease.