Innovating Evaluation and Treatment of Intrapartum Fevers: Where Do We Go from Here?

Abstract

As intrapartum fevers are not always infectious in origin, determining whether antibiotics are indicated is challenging. We previously sought to create a point-of-care calculator using clinical data available at the time of an intrapartum fever to identify the subset of women who require antibiotic treatment to avoid maternal and neonatal morbidity. Despite the use of a comprehensive dataset from our institutions, we were unable to propose a valid and highly predictive model. In this commentary, we discuss why our model failed, as well as future research directions to identify and treat true intraamniotic infection. Developing a risk-stratification model is paramount to minimizing maternal and neonatal exposure to unnecessary antibiotics while allowing for early identification of women and babies at risk for infectious morbidity.

Key Points

• Determining whether antibiotics are indicated in intrapartum fever is challenging.

• Developing a risk-stratification model for febrile laboring women is critical to decreasing harm.

• A point-of-care calculator based on clinical and biomarker data is the necessary approach.

Keywords

intrapartum fever - early onset sepsis - intraamniotic infection

Publication History

Received: 17 July 2020

Accepted: 02 March 2021

Article published online:
20 April 2021

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