PURPOSE: the morbidity in HIV-positive patients due to puerperal fever was studied and correlated to the method and duration of labor, the duration of premature rupture of the membranes, CD4+ cell count and the viral load (VL) at peridelivery. METHODS: a total of 207 HIV-positive women with prenatal examinations and deliveries between May 1997 and December 2001 were enrolled. Of these, 32 had natural childbirth and 175 had a cesarean section. Of the total of enrolled patients, 62.8% were submitted to elective cesarean section. The average age of the group was 27.4 years, and 25.6% were nulliparous and 26% were primiparous. At the moment of the delivery the average gestational age was 37.8 weeks. At the end of pregnancy the average of the CD4+ cell count was approximately 481 cells/mm³ and the viral load 49,100 copies/mL. RESULTS: puerperal morbidity occurred in 34 patients, with 33 after cesarean section and one after natural childbirth. The most usual intercurrent post-cesarean infection was that of the surgical wound (13% of the infection cases). Analyzed factors, such as delivery duration, duration of rupture of the membranes, number of CD4+ cells or the viral load at peridelivery, did not interfere in puerperal morbidity. CONCLUSIONS: puerperal morbidity was 16.8% and occurred more frequently after cesarean sections (18.9%) than after vaginal deliveries (3.1%). The other factors did not present a significant effect on puerperal morbidity.
AIDS; Puerperal morbidity; Vertical transmission; Cesarean section; Vaginal delivery
