Pelvic Inflammatory Disease: How is it Treated?

The article was professionally consulted with Specialist Doctor II Pham Thi Tuyet Mai - Obstetrician and Gynecologist - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

Antibiotic therapy should be initiated promptly as soon as pelvic inflammatory disease is diagnosed. Even if there are only suspicious symptoms, after taking samples without waiting for results, patients need to be prescribed antibiotics soon. The goal of antibiotic treatment is to kill germs, prevent spread, can help prevent serious complications, and preserve organ structure and function in the future.

Pelvic inflammatory disease is caused by many different bacteria, most commonly chlamydia, gonorrhea, or mycoplasma of the genitals. Therefore, the antibiotic chosen initially is often empiric as well as local antibiotic sensitivity. Usually a broad-spectrum antibiotic is used at the outset. If re-evaluation of clinical signs does not respond or culture results show the causative agent, the drug will be changed according to the antibiogram.
The type of antibiotic preparation used can be orally, intramuscularly, intravenously or topically. This is up to the doctor's prescription, depending on the severity of the disease, the comorbidities or the susceptibility of the bacteria. If the degree of pelvic inflammatory disease is mild and oral medication is available, you will be prescribed outpatient medication and taken at home, with follow-up appointments. Conversely, in cases of severe inflammation or if you are pregnant, have a history of drug allergies, you may need to be hospitalized for intravenous antibiotics and more careful monitoring.
Similar to the treatment of other inflammatory diseases, the doctor will evaluate the drug response at each time point in the regimen and when deciding to use antibiotics, it is necessary to adhere to the correct dose, complete the regimen. to avoid recurrence as well as antibiotic resistance. In addition, consideration should be given to obligatory contraception during drug use because some antibiotics are contraindicated during pregnancy due to the increased risk of fetal malformations.

To prevent re-infection, it's important to treat not only yourself but also your partner, especially if you're having sex without a condom. Therefore, it is necessary to encourage the sexual partner to visit the doctor, carry out tests and early treatment, to ensure a safe relationship for both parties.
This will sometimes be difficult because the partner may already be infected but not have any suspicious symptoms at all. Therefore, empathy and sharing at this time is extremely necessary.
In addition, for the treatment to work, you should avoid sex until both you and your partner have completed the treatment.

If you have pain around your pelvis or pain in your lower abdomen, you can take a pain reliever such as paracetamol or ibuprofen while you are on antibiotic treatment.
If you have an IUD like an IUD, you need to tell your doctor. Your doctor will consider removing the device if your symptoms do not improve after a few days of taking the medicine, as that could be the cause of an infection. Likewise, you should also let your doctor know if you have had local procedures such as abortion, laparoscopy, uterine biopsy, or interventions on nearby organs such as the colon and rectum. , urology... so that the doctor can orient the use of antibiotics and monitor appropriately.
In case you are using drugs to treat comorbidities, your doctor also needs to know these things to choose safe drugs, to avoid the possibility of drug interactions.
Regarding having sex during pelvic inflammatory disease treatment, you need to have a temporary abstinence and also your partner. This should be strictly followed until both are finished and the tests show that the infection has been ruled out.
Along with taking medicine, a woman also needs to know how to maintain proper personal hygiene and private area, to avoid creating the risk of superinfection from the outside. You need to choose clothes that are loose, airy and absorb sweat well, and avoid wearing tight or tight clothes. Regarding gynecological hygiene solutions, you should consult your doctor to choose the right type, ensuring a safe environment for the vagina. Thorough hygiene after defecation, avoiding the habit of douching in the vagina as well as using tampons and menstrual cups during the treatment days of pelvic inflammatory disease.

Surgical treatment is rarely necessary for pelvic inflammatory disease. However, if pelvic inflammatory disease is acute, causes severe abdominal pain, or has a ruptured or threatened abscess, emergency surgery is indicated to save life. Besides, if the chronic inflammatory mass does not respond to systemic drug therapy, surgical intervention should also be considered. Only when the foci of infection is completely resolved can the problem of inflammation come to an end.
Besides, other supportive care is also extremely necessary, both to improve the general condition and increase the ability to respond to drugs. You should work gently, take time to rest accordingly. You may need to stay in bed for a few days if the infection is severe to avoid spreading to nearby organs and the whole body. Should drink a lot of water and eat healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables; avoid consuming too much fat or using stimulants such as alcohol, tobacco...

If you have been approved by your doctor for outpatient treatment and monitoring at home, you will be scheduled for a follow-up visit 3 days after starting treatment so your doctor can check that the antibiotics are working.
Conversely, if your symptoms have not started to improve within 3 days or you have symptoms of acute pelvic inflammatory disease, such as high fever, vomiting, fainting or severe pain, you must go to the emergency room. nearest rescue immediately. Because pelvic inflammatory disease can also develop as a serious disease, life-threatening complications and potentially death if not treated early.
Pelvic inflammatory disease is a gynecological inflammatory disease. Similar to inflammatory diseases in other organs, women need to be treated with the right specialists, avoid regrettable sequelae, and especially be assured of comprehensive health, confidently enjoy the happiness of their life. pair.
Vinmec International General Hospital provides female customers with a package of gynecological examination and screening. This examination package helps customers to detect inflammatory diseases early, thereby treating the disease easily and inexpensively. At the same time, Vinmec's gynecological examination service package also helps screen and detect cervical cancer early.

Articles refer to sources: mayoclinic.org, nhs.uk, cdc.gov