Caracterização da Infecção Puerperal: uma revisão integrativa

Abstract

Puerperal infection is defined as a bacterial infection of the female genital tract that occurs at any time from rupture of the membranes or labor until the 42nd day postpartum. Recognizing the aspects involved in puerperal infection can support ideas to be developed to reduce the rate of infections. This work aims to describe the characteristics of puerperal infection based on the main bibliographical references on the subject. The study was carried out through an integrative review of the literature in which the search was carried out via the portal of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel in the databases MEDLINE/PubMed (via the National Library of Medicine), LILACS (Literatura Latino -American and Caribbean Health Sciences) and EMBASE (Elsevier) using the descriptors “puerperal infection”, “postpartum period” and “infection”, contained in the DeCS (Health Sciences Descriptors)/MeSH (Medical Subject) domain Headings). The search was carried out in the months of November and December 2023. Original scientific articles that covered the topic, published between 2019 and 2023, were included in the survey. Scientific articles repeated in the databases and review articles were excluded. 11 articles on the subject were analyzed, which identified variables related to puerperal infection as the main clinical manifestations reported by the authors, the risk factors for the development of puerperal infection and the treatments performed. The most prevalent clinical manifestation in the articles was the presence of bleeding with a foul odor, followed by abdominal pain, surgical wound infection, episiotomy and fever. Risk factors were observed, such as socio-demographic characteristics of the postpartum woman, health care received during pregnancy and childbirth, including type of delivery and also the presence of comorbidities during pregnancy such as: diabetes mellitus, urinary tract infection, anemia, hypertensive syndromes during pregnancy, postpartum hemorrhages, prematurity, smoking, and obesity. Antibiotic therapy with broad-spectrum antibiotics is the most prevalent and effective treatment for puerperal infection.