[The microbiological etiology of acute pelvic inflammatory disease in Pelonomi Hospital, Bloemfontein].

In 40 women with acute pelvic inflammatory disease (APID) specimens for microbiological study were obtained from the rectum, urethra, vagina, cervix and peritoneal cavity. In most patients (83%) the aetiology of the infection was polymicrobial. Chlamydia trachomatis was the most common invader (73.3%), followed by anaerobic organisms (46.6%), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (40%) and aerobic organisms (26.6%). Only 1 patient had a positive peritoneal culture for N. gonorrhoeae. All the other positive Chlam. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae cultures were obtained from rectal, urethral and cervical specimens. The positive anaerobic and aerobic cultures were all from peritoneal cavity specimens.