Epidemiologic, clinical and surgical characteristics of patients with pelvic inflammatory disease, Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia, 1999-2005.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the epidemiologic, clinical and surgical characteristics of patients with pelvic inflammatory disease. Design: Series of cases descriptive study. Setting: Gynecology Service, Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru. Participants: Women with diagnosis of pelvic inflammatory disease. Interventions: Demographic data, gynecological history, clinical criteria and type of surgical intervention were studied in 199 patients with pelvic inflammatory disease during January 1999 through December 2005. Main outcome measures: Pelvic inflammatory disease characteristics. Results: The frequency of pelvic inflammatory disease was 3,2% with higher presence during the second and quarter decades of life. Most frequent demographic characteristics were cohabiting marital status (40,7%) and high school graduates (54,8%). Sexual activity was started at 18 years old average, and monogamous couples were 50,3%. Anal sex was informed by 34,2% and intercourse during menstruation by 47,7%. History of sexually transmitted infections was present in 7%. Most used contraceptive method was intrauterine device (33,6%). Most frequent clinical finding was pelvic pain (92,5%). Diagnosis by laparoscopy was done in 14,6% and by open surgery in 28,6% and salpingitis was the most frequent surgical diagnosis (47,7%). Conclusions: Epidemiological characteristics of the studied population differ from other populations with regards to age group, education level, marital status, sexual behavior and use of contraceptive methods. Clinical findings co nstitute the most frequent form of diagnosis of this pathology, and most frequent surgical diagnosis was salpingitis.