Introduction:

preterm birth is an important underlying cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality; one of the primary etiologies is intra-amniotic inflammation/infection, which are associated with adverse perinatal outcomes. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between antimicrobial treatment and maternal, fetal, and perinatal clinical outcomes in pregnant patients with suspected intra-amniotic inflammation/infection seen at a nationally- and internationally- recognized university hospital for high-risk obstetric cases in Medellín, Colombia.

Methods:

the researchers conducted an ambispective cohort study of singleton pregnancies with gestational ages > 24 weeks seen at the Clínica Universitaria Bolivariana (CUB) with suspected subclinical intra-amniotic inflammation/infection between January 2011 and December 2021 (n=75). The relationship between the use of antimicrobial treatment and maternal and perinatal clinical outcomes.

Results:

after conducting an analysis of clinical, para-clinical and laboratory evidence, the most statistically significant findings included abdominal pain, acute vaginal bleeding, and the presence of amniotic fluid “sludge” found during ultrasound cervicometry. The use of antimicrobial therapy was 1.88 times more common among patients with amniotic fluid “sludge” when compared to those without the presence of this clinical finding (CI 95% 1.23 to 2.88), p=0.0009; it was 1.43 times more common among patients experiencing uterine dynamics (CI 95% 1.06 to 1.94), p=0.050. The median difference of leukocytes in amniotic fluid showed an excess of leukocytes per field in patients who received antimicrobials, a difference of 9 leukocytes (CI 95% 5 to 25), p <0.0001. Preterm labor was more frequent in patients in whom there was a clinical indication for the use of antimicrobials (RR 1,58 IC95% 0,96- 2,61). After adjusting the analysis by time of latency between the suspicion of infection and labor, it was observed that the use of antimicrobials reduced the rish of preterm labor by 46% RR 0,54 (IC95% 0,35- 0,83). In culture-positive patients, the median latency period until birth was 4 (IQR 0-9 weeks) and 11 (IQR 8-15 weeks) in culture-negative patients, with a median difference of 6 weeks (CI 95% 1 to 10).

Conclusion:

among patients with suspected intra-amniotic inflammation/infection, antimicrobial therapy is associated with a lower risk for preterm birth, and lower latency period among culture-positive patients.

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