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BACKGROUND: The leading hypothesis of the pathogenesis of cervical insufficiency suggests a role of cervical inflammation. Urogenital tract infections could play a causative role in this process. To test this hypothesis in women with a cervical cerclage, we aimed to retrospectively examine the relationship between gestational age (GA) at delivery and positive urogenital cultures. METHODS: This single center retrospective study reviewed the records of all women with a singleton pregnancy that underwent cervical cerclage (n = 203) between 2010 and 2020 at the University Hospital of Leuven, Belgium. Transvaginal cerclages were categorized as history indicated (TVC I, n = 94), ultrasound indicated (TVC II, n = 79) and clinically indicated (TVC III, n = 20). Additionally, ten women received transabdominal cerclage (TAC). Urogenital cultures (vaginal and urine) were taken before and after cerclage with 4-week intervals. Urogenital cultures were reported 'positive' if urine and/or vaginal cultures showed significant growth of a microorganism. Treatment decision depended on culture growth and clinical presentation. The primary aim was to evaluate the association between the urogenital culture results and the GA at delivery, for each of the cerclage groups. Secondarily, to investigate the effect of antibiotic treatment of positive cultures on GA at delivery. RESULTS: Positive pre-cerclage urogenital cultures were associated with lower GA at delivery in TVC III (positive culture 26w4d ± 40d vs. negative 29w6d ± 54d, p = 0.036). For TVC I, GA at delivery was longer when pre-cerclage urogenital cultures were positive (positive culture 38w0d ± 26d vs. negative 35w4d ± 42d, p = 0.035). Overall post-cerclage urogenital cultures status was not associated with a different GA at delivery. Treating patients with pre- or post-cerclage positive urogenital cultures did also not change GA at delivery. CONCLUSION: Positive urogenital cultures taken before clinically indicated cerclage intervention may be associated with lower GA at delivery. However, there seems to be no benefit of antibiotic treatment or routine urogenital cultures during follow-up of asymptomatic women after cerclage placement.

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OBJECTIVE: Premature rupture of the membranes (PROM) remains a leading cause of neonatal morbidity. The objectives of the present study were to analyze the outcomes of pregnancies complicated by PROM between 22 and 27+6 weeks of gestation (WG) and to study antepartum risk factors that might predict neonatal death. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and seven pregnancies were analyzed over a 3-year period in a tertiary maternity hospital. The collected maternal and neonatal data were used to model and predict the outcome of PROM. RESULTS: Prevalence of PROM (for live births) was 1.08%, and the overall survival rate was 59.8%. From preselected candidate variables, gestational age (GA) at PROM (p = .0002), a positive vaginal culture for pathogenic bacteria (p = .01), primiparity (p = .02), and the quantity of amniotic fluid (p = .03) were included in a multivariable logistic regression analysis. The corresponding adjusted odds ratios [95% confidence interval] were, respectively, 0.91 [0.87-0.96], 11.08 [1.65-74.42], 0.55 [0.33-0.91], and 0.97 [0.95-0.99]. These parameters were used to build a predictive score for neonatal death. CONCLUSIONS: The survival rate after PROM at 22-27+6 weeks of gestation was 59.8%. Our predictive model (built using multivariable logistic regression) may be of value for obstetricians and neonatologists counseling couples after PROM.

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INTRODUCTION: Group B streptococcus (GBS) is an important cause of neonatal infections. Maternal GBS colonization screening and intrapartum antimicrobial prophylaxis of colonized women can prevent neonatal diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of GBS colonization in pregnant and non-pregnant women and to compare the performance of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay with the established as gold standard technique, culture method, used for the detection of this microorganism. METHODOLOGY: Vaginal and rectal samples collected from 857 pregnant and 370 non-pregnant women were examined through cultures, while the samples collected from 452 pregnant women between 35 and 37 weeks of gestation were assayed by culture and PCR method targeting the cfb gene. RESULTS: GBS colonization was present in both pregnant and non-pregnant women. The colonization rate was similar in non-pregnant and first trimester pregnant women and then increased from first to the third trimester of pregnancy. GBS cultures for vaginal and rectal samples were positive in 13.2% and 14.3% in non-pregnant women, while in pregnant women 13.2% and 13.7% in the first trimester, and 15.0% and 16.5% in the second trimester, respectively. In third trimester pregnant women, compared to culture method, PCR identified a significantly increased number of GBS positive vaginal (18.4% vs 22.6%, p = 0.0006) and rectal (18.1% vs 21.2%, p = 0.01) samples. CONCLUSIONS: GBS colonization rate was higher in the third trimester. PCR proved to be a rapid and useful GBS screening method allowing a shorter detection time, while identifying more colonized women than culture.

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OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to evaluate the differences in vaginal culture, microscopy, and Gram stain between postmenopausal women who wear pessaries and those who do not to explain pessary-related, bothersome vaginal discharge. STUDY DESIGN: Postmenopausal women not using exogenous estrogen who had either been wearing a pessary for at least 3 months or who were undergoing their first pessary fittings were approached for enrollment. Symptoms were assessed, and vaginal fluid was collected for culture, microscopy, and Gram stain. A cross-sectional analysis was performed, comparing the new and return pessary wearers. The new pessary users were also sampled at 2 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after fitting. RESULTS: Women who wore pessaries were more likely to be bothered by discharge (30.0% vs 2.1%, P < .001). They were also more likely to show microscopic evidence of vaginal inflammation and vaginitis. Prospective data showed that these changes developed during the first 2 weeks of pessary use. Aerobic and anaerobic organisms were nearly identical in women with and without bothersome vaginal discharge in the cross-sectional analysis and at all time points in the prospective analysis. CONCLUSION: Pessary-related, bothersome vaginal discharge develops early and may be due to an inflammatory process in the vagina.

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OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether vaginal Group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonisation or other baseline characteristics of women with preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) can help in identifying subgroups of women who would benefit from immediate delivery. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of the PPROMEXIL trials. SETTING: Sixty hospitals in the Netherlands. POPULATION: Women with PPROM between 34 and 37 weeks of gestation. METHODS: Random assignment of 723 women to immediate delivery or expectant management. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Early onset neonatal sepsis. RESULTS: Vaginal GBS colonisation status was the only marker which was significantly associated with the benefit of immediate delivery (P for interaction: 0.04). GBS colonisation was observed in 14% of women. The risk of early onset neonatal sepsis in GBS-positive women was high (15.2%) when they were managed expectantly but this risk was reduced to 1.8% with immediate delivery. The early onset neonatal sepsis risk was much lower in neonates of GBS-negative women: 2.6% after expectant management and 2.9% with immediate delivery. We estimated that by inducing labour only in GBS-positive women, there would be a 10.4% increase in term delivery rate, while keeping neonatal sepsis and caesarean delivery rates comparable to a strategy of labour induction for all. CONCLUSIONS: Our post hoc findings suggest that women with PROM between 34 and 37 weeks might benefit from immediate delivery if they have GBS vaginal colonisation, while in GBS-negative women labour induction could be delayed until 37 weeks.

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