Maternal sepsis, uterine rupture and coagulopathy complicating cervical cerclage.

A previously healthy woman with a Shirodkar cerclage for cervical incompetence had a spontaneous rupture of the membranes at the 37th week of pregnancy. Three days later after a short period of weak labor pains, she developed a severe sepsis, uterine rupture and coagulopathy leading to renal failure, beta-hemolytic streptococcus group B and peptostreptococcous could be cultured from the amniotic fluid immediately after rupture of the membranes and from the uterus and placenta.