Acute pelvic infection following hysterosalpingography at the Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi.

A total of 150 women who had hysterosalpingography (HSG) for investigation of infertility, at the Kenyatta National Hospital over a five month period, were recruited into the study to determine the prevalence of pelvic infection following the procedure. 44.0% of the total study group developed pelvic infection disease (PID) within the first week after the procedure. There were no obvious determining factors. It is possible that most women with infertility have quiescent genital tract infection, prior to HSG, with the latter only facilitating the entry of micro-organisms into the upper genital tract, thus causing pelvic infection or reactivating a pre-existing infections. Further studies should be conducted to determine the microbial patterns of the infection. There should be routine provision of prophylactic antimicrobial agent(s) to all women undergoing HSG in our unit to minimise the risk of developing pelvic infection and further damage to the uterine tubes which will worsen the prognosis.