Treatment of
PID

Diagnosing & Evaluating PID

Pelvic
Inflammatory Disease is peculiar to women and is generally caused by a sexually transmitted disease, particularly Chlamydia or gonorrhoea, which has gone
undiagnosed.  If can also occur as a
result of any type of vaginal procedure, including birth and abortion or even
the insertion of an IUD.  The infection
goes up through the uterus, into the fallopian tubes and there can infect other
tissues as well as cause scarring which can ultimately lead to infertility and
other complications.

PID is
difficult to diagnose. However, with a clinical evaluation and testing for various STDs, the health care professional can discover PID and determine a
course of treatment.  If a woman has pain
in the pelvic region and other symptoms of PID, it is vitally important that
care and treatment are sought immediately. 
By acting promptly, damage to the reproductive organs can be
prevented.  The longer she waits, the
more likely infertility or a future ectopic pregnancy (growth of an embryo
outside of the womb) will await her.

Treatment Options

Antibiotics
are often used as a form of treatment for pelvic inflammatory disease and the
best course of medicine is determined by the medical provider.  Any damage which has already occurred to the
reproductive organs cannot be reversed with antibiotics. Since there is such
difficulty in isolating the organisms causing infection of the organs, and
because more than one organism may be the cause of the PID, the use of two
antibiotics are considered to be effective against a wider range of infectious
bacteria and viruses.  The antibiotics
can be administered by shot or orally. 
Even though the symptoms may disappear quickly, it is advisable to
complete the course of medication to ensure the infection does not
reoccur.  Evaluation by the health care
provider, two or three days into the treatment, can give evidence as to the
effectiveness of the medicine.  It is
also advisable for a woman’s sexual partner(s) to be treated in order to
decrease the chance for re-infection – even if he displays no symptoms.  As mentioned, the organisms
which cause PID can be present with symptoms or signs.

Hospitalization if Necessary

There are
several situations which may require hospitalization: severe illness, including
vomiting, fever and nausea; pregnancy;  the body not
responding to antibiotics or the patient not being able to take them orally and requiring intravenous
application; the presence of ovarian or fallopian tube abscess and the need to be checked to
ensure the pain is not due to something other than PID.