Infectious outcomes following immediate postplacental intrauterine device placement in the setting of chorioamnionitis: An exploratory, retrospective study

Objective: To evaluate infectious outcomes following postplacental intrauterine device (PPIUD) placement in patients with suspected chorioamnionitis.Study design: This retrospective cohort study identified individuals desiring PPIUD who subsequently de-veloped suspected chorioamnionitis, treated with antibiotics. We followed 12-month infectious outcomes amongst two cohorts: (1) those who received PPIUD and (2) those with placement deferred.Results: Of 55 followed, 18 of 22 PPIUDs were placed before chorioamnionitis was suspected; 33 place-ments were deferred. Neither group experienced acute infectious complications. Notably, IUDs were more often deferred when chorioamnionitis was more clearly diagnosed (20/33, 60.6% vs 4/22, 18.2% p < 0.01). Overdiagnosis of chorioamnionitis prevented IUD uptake in 10 of 55 (18.2%) individuals in this sample. Conclusions: PPIUD placement in individuals with early signs of chorioamnionitis may not result in se-vere morbidity, in a study limited by sample size. Larger, prospective studies are needed in well-defined cohorts.Implications: Incidental, immediate postplacental IUD placement in individuals with treated, suspected chorioamnionitis was not associated with severe morbidity within 1-year postpartum. Larger-scale, prospective studies are needed to guide the management of incidentally-placed, postplacental IUDs in the setting of mild chorioamnionitis.(c) 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.