ABSTRACT
Aims@#Preterm premature rupture of membrane (PPROM) is usually associated with maternal vaginal colonization of Group B Streptococci (GBS). However, there are reports on isolation of Acinetobacter baumannii in PPROM cases. In order to ascertain A. baumannii’s role in PPROM, we determine the colonization of A. baumannii and other common vaginal tract flora, i.e. GBS and Candida albicans, in women with PPROM, and compared them to those with normal labor at term (NLT). The transmissibility of the organisms to their babies was also investigated. @*Methodology and results@#A total of 218 high vaginal swabs from 108 and 100 women with PPROM and NLT respectively were collected. The transmission of these organisms to their 215 babies was determined by swabbing the ears and axillae. These were cultured for isolation of A. baumannii, GBS and C. albicans. Results showed that mothers with PPROM were predominantly colonized with GBS (32.4%), followed by C. albicans (19.4%) and A. baumannii (7.4%), compared to 10.9%, 17.3% and 7.2% respectively, in women with NLT. Between 34 to 50% of the babies of mothers with PPROM acquired the organisms, with GBS being the most significantly (p=0.000) transferred compared to other organisms. Co-existence of A. baumannii with either GBS or C. albicans, or both, did not enhance the occurrence of PPROM. @*Conclusion, significance and impact of study@#Colonization of A. baumannii in vaginal tract of pregnant women does not increase the possibility of PPROM, as compared to GBS.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the risk of preterm birth in pregnant women with Ureaplasma urealyticum and/or Mycoplasma hominis infection and the prevalence of these organisms in normal pregnancy. METHODS: Between February 2002 and July 2002, we included 43 pregnant women prior to 37 weeks of gestation with definite gross leakage of amniotic fluid (n=16) (group 1), 47 healthy women without any obstetric problems between 18 and 24 weeks of gestation (group 2) and 64 women who delivered fullterm fetuses who had taken cervical swabs around 36 weeks gestation (group 3). Cervical swabs (Dacron(R)) were taken on admission in group 1 and at outpatients in group 2 and 3. Detections of U. urealyticum and M. hominis were done using commercial kits (MYCOFAST(R) Evolution 2, International Microbio Signes, France). RESULTS: There was no significant difference between mid-gestation (group 2) and fullterm (group 3) in cervical swab result. In group 1, the detection rate of Ureaplasma uealyticum was higher in impending preterm birth over 32 weeks of gestational age (15/20, 75%) than 32 weeks or less (10/ 23, 43.4%) (p<0.05). In group 2, there was no significant difference in preterm birth rate between the exposed and the non-exposed to U. urealyticum and/or M. hominis in middle of 2nd trimester. CONCLUSION: U. urealyticum does not seem to be a predictor of preterm birth, and there seems to be some different mechanism according to gestational age. We couldn't varify that M. Hominis and U. urealyticum were related to preterm birth, although U. urealyticum was highly detected in impending preterm birth.