Conference Coverage
VIDEO: How to catch postpartum necrotizing fasciitis in time
Look for pain that seems out of proportion to the clinical signs.
PARK CITY, UTAH – When postpartum infections don’t respond to antibiotics, doctors and surgeons need to move fast; surgery – often hysterectomy – is the only thing that will save the woman’s life.
The problem is that with today’s antibiotics, doctors may have never encountered the situation, and sometimes continue to treat with antibiotics until it’s too late.
In Seattle, physicians turn to David Eschenbach, MD, chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Washington, for advice on when it’s time to give up on antibiotics and go to the OR. It’s a difficult decision, especially when patients are young.
In an interview at the annual scientific meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr. Eschenbach shared what he’s learned from decades of experience in dealing with one of the most devastating postpartum complications.