• Staphylococcus in a throat smear during pregnancy: diagnosis and treatment of infection. Staphylococcus aureus treatment in pregnant women

    10.08.2019

    During pregnancy, staphylococcus poses a particular danger, causing harm not only to the woman, but also to her unborn child. Staphylococcus is one of the most common pathogenic bacteria that constantly surrounds humans. It is found in every body, but with a good immune system it does no harm. But as soon as the protection weakens a little, the bacteria begins to rapidly multiply, causing a number of diseases and pathological processes.

    The danger of staphylococcus during pregnancy

    The symptomatic picture depends on the type of bacteria. Several are known to medicine:

    • Staphylococcus epidermidis;
    • saprophytic;
    • hemolytic;
    • golden.


    The greatest danger is posed by Staphylococcus aureus during pregnancy.
    The bacterium in women carrying a baby is activated under the influence of a reduced immune system and restructuring hormonal levels caused by a new physiological state.

    Quite often, Staphylococcus aureus settles in the nose during pregnancy, causing symptoms characteristic of the common cold. For this reason, most women do not attach importance to this, using the usual methods of fighting ARVI.
    Clinical picture of Staphylococcus aureus:

    • the presence of skin inflammation in the form of boils, eczema, acne or dermatitis;
    • problems with the digestive system;
    • symptoms characteristic of a sore throat are a sore throat, pain when swallowing;
    • cough, which is heavy and suffocating in nature;
    • rhinitis;
    • pain when going to the toilet and in the lower abdomen.

    Considering the fact that staphylococcus during pregnancy poses a real threat to the health of the child, if any changes in health status occur (developed cough, runny nose or small pimple), it is necessary to seek medical advice.

    If there are one or more symptoms that may indicate the development of Staphylococcus aureus in the body of a pregnant woman, it is imperative to undergo medical tests to clarify or refute this diagnosis.

    Staphylococcus aureus is determined by bacterial culture. In a smear taken from the nasal sinuses and throat of a pregnant woman, it can be detected bacterial infection several degrees of growth. The first - with the number of colonies no more than 20, indicates small quantity bacteria in the body. If this value in the smear exceeds the above indicator, it means that the bacterium has managed to cause the disease.

    During pregnancy, staphylococcus must be cured before sending the woman to the maternity hospital.

    Why is staphylococcus dangerous? Pregnancy is stress for the female body, which causes a restructuring of all vital systems, so it is extremely important to closely monitor your health, because the immune system is in a very weak state and is unable to protect itself from harmful bacteria.

    Possible complications and pathological conditions which can be caused by staphylococcus in pregnant women:

    1. The development of dangerous diseases: meningitis, pneumonia, peritonitis, oncology, inflammatory processes of internal organs.
    2. Severe pathologies of fetal development.
    3. The proliferation of bacteria during pregnancy in the dermis can lead to purulent mastitis.
    4. Inflammatory processes on the inner lining of the heart muscle. In most cases it leads to sudden death women. The same is true for sepsis.

    How to treat the disease during pregnancy?

    Treatment of staphylococcus in pregnant women is complicated by the inability to take a number of medications that can have an extremely negative effect on the fetus. If Staphylococcus aureus is detected in the nose or throat, the woman is prescribed rinsing the sinuses with oil solutions (Chlorophyllipt) and rinsing with alcohol-containing preparations.
    Treatment necessarily includes taking gentle antibiotics. Without them, it is not possible to eliminate Staphylococcus aureus. Depending on the location of the bacteria, topical preparations can be used - these are antibacterial ointments. Medicines that stimulate the immune system are prescribed. Regular quartzing is carried out.
    To prevent infection of the unborn child, the mother is given an injection of staphylococcal toxoid.

    Treatment of staphylococcus during pregnancy should be under constant medical supervision. Use methods traditional medicine and practicing self-therapy is strictly prohibited.

    To avoid serious consequences, pregnancy must be planned in advance. In this case, the woman will have time to submit all necessary medical tests and timely treatment infectious diseases, which can lead to complications during pregnancy.

    If staphylococcus was detected already during pregnancy, do not panic. The main thing is to follow all the instructions of the attending physician and regularly undergo tests to study the dynamics of the fight against such a pathogen as staphylococcal infection.

    Pregnancy is often the determining factor in which the immune system weakens. At a time when the body's defenses fall, an unpleasant and sometimes dangerous phenomenon, such as staphylococcus in pregnant women, is very likely. The most common habitats of this microorganism are the mucous membranes of the nose and pharynx, and carious teeth. It is clear why all pregnant women, without exception, are strongly recommended to undergo examination by a dentist and otolaryngologist.

    Speaking about the types of staphylococci that pose a threat to pregnant women, there are three of them.

    The least dangerous saprophytic staphylococcus, which most often lives in the genitourinary system and on the skin near the genitals. Saprophytic staphylococcus causes complications associated with inflammation Bladder, in other cases and kidneys.

    Not much more dangerous during pregnancy is epidermal staphylococcus, which lives on the surface of the skin. But despite its habitat, Staphylococcus epidermidis does not cause skin problems, although when it enters the bloodstream it causes sepsis and inflammation of the inner lining of the heart.

    The leader in the consequences that arise from infection is Staphylococcus aureus. A very dangerous type of staphylococcus threatens both mother and fetus. For women, Staphylococcus aureus threatens the subsequent development of many complications. Pneumonia, meningitis, peritonitis, severe purulent abscesses. Staphylococcus aureus is also dangerous for the development of many skin sores, such as boils, acne, and barley. For a child, Staphylococcus aureus is very dangerous due to infection of the membranes and the child himself. Being on the skin, Staphylococcus aureus can penetrate the mammary gland and cause the development of purulent mastitis. It is also dangerous because it releases dangerous toxins that can affect a newborn, resulting in formations appearing on the skin damage as from burns.

    For better safety, the possibility of carriage of staphylococcus must be excluded before pregnancy. Still at the planning stage. Although in this case, perinatal diagnosis should not be neglected. To determine the presence or absence of a staphylococcus threat, swabs are usually taken from the nose and throat. After this, specialists count the number of colonies of microorganisms, and if the norm is exceeded, determine the need for further treatment.

    The doctor selects a treatment regimen for each patient individually. It all depends on the location and form of the disease. Despite the fact that staphylococcus is very resistant to antibiotics, treatment of staphylococcal infections is not possible without drugs with antibiotics. The safest and most appropriate drug should be selected by a qualified specialist, taking into account the woman’s pregnancy. In parallel, in the treatment of staphylococcus, local antibacterial drugs, bacteriophages, and immunomodulatory agents are also used. In cases where staphylococcus is in the nasopharynx, regular rinsing with an alcohol solution of Chlorphilipt and instillation of an oil solution of Chlorphilipt into the nasal passages are necessary. Quartz treatment is also used to treat staphylococcus, and to prevent infection of the child, a pregnant woman is immunized with staphylococcal toxoid.

    As you know, it is much easier to prevent any disease than to fight it later. Staphylococcus during pregnancy is no exception. It is much easier to avoid it than to treat it later and fear that the infection could turn into a tragedy for mother and child. Prevention of staphylococcus consists of strict adherence to personal hygiene. It should be taken into account that staphylococcus in pregnant women often develops against the background of decreased immunity. You need to pay attention to your health. Walking on fresh air, good nutrition, regular ventilation of the room and physical exercise. Regularly wash your hands with soap and take a shower; regular washing of the mammary glands with soap is also recommended. Afterwards, wipe them dry with a clean towel. At the slightest manifestation of a runny nose, sore throat, and other symptoms, doctors advise gargling with a solution of warm water with soda, iodine, and salt. Wipe your nose with a cotton swab dipped in solutions of Chlorphilipt or Furacilin.

    Do not forget that the health of your unborn child fully depends on your vigilance, attentiveness to yourself and strict adherence to all recommendations and prescriptions of the attending physician. Whether he is healthy or not is entirely your concern. future child hopes for your prudence.

    Author of the publication: Leonid Guryev

    A wide variety of microorganisms are human companions. They accompany us from birth, when the baby, passing through the mother’s birth canal, acquires its first microflora, and until the very end of life. Some of them can be both safe and harmful when the body's immune defenses are weakened. Sometimes this mutual existence develops into illness. This is exactly how staphylococcus can behave during pregnancy - from carrier status to the active stage with the development of the disease.

    Staphylococcal infection during pregnancy is not uncommon. On the contrary, there are strains so resistant to antibiotics and disinfectants that they feel good even in the intensive care unit, forming a hospital infection. But most often, the presence of such microorganisms during pregnancy does not mean the presence of an infectious process in the pregnant woman.

    In total, microbiologists know about three dozen varieties of staphylococcus, but only four of them are of practical interest for medicine. These Staphylococci are facultative anaerobes, that is, they may not require oxygen for their vital functions, but it is difficult for them to live constantly without oxygen.

    Staphylococci pathogenic for humans are represented by the following types:

    • The most dangerous thing for humans is Staphylococcus aureus. This microorganism is called a representative of the pyogenic flora. The microbe has many adaptations to resist antibiotics. Staphylococcus aureus during pregnancy can be dangerous for both the expectant mother and the baby. If this particular pathogen is isolated, then you can no longer pay attention to other staphylococci that were found in the same analysis, since their role is much more modest than that of Staphylococcus aureus.
    • Epidermal or cutaneous staphylococcus. Not as dangerous as the previous representative. If a person has a good immune status, it is relatively safe. Staphylococcus epidermidis during pregnancy, which is burdened with various extragenital pathologies, can also cause purulent processes in various organs, including septic ones. To do this, it must leave the skin and enter internal environment body, or inside a wound.
    • Staphylococcus saprophytic. Saprophytes are harmless because they absorb already dead, decaying material. But, as in the previous case, saprophytic staphylococcus during pregnancy can cause inflammation. The favorite localization of this pathogen is urinary tract infections, for example, urethritis. With an ascending process, even nephritis and urogenic sepsis can occur.
    • The last representative is hemolytic staphylococcus. It is not as dangerous as, for example, hemolytic streptococcus. Hemolytic staphylococcus during pregnancy does not show any particular selectivity in organ damage: this pathogen can also cause various purulent processes: from conjunctivitis and blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelids) to inflammation of the membranes of the heart and joints, with the development of arthritis and endocarditis.

    Symptoms and signs. Why is staphylococcus dangerous during pregnancy?

    Staphylococcus during pregnancy, just like in other cases, can cause only two reactions to the introduction of the pathogen:

    • Local infection. Purulent inflammation occurs at the site of localization of the inflammatory focus, and the pathogen does not enter the systemic bloodstream. It is these manifestations of microbial inflammation that occur most often.
    • General infection, or septic process. It is extremely difficult, with the most serious prognosis for mother and child. Moreover, there are 2 stages of this process - septicemia, in which the pathogen is simply in the blood, causing fever, chills and all the signs of a severe infection, and septicopyemia, in which staphylococcus not only circulates in the blood, but also multiplies, forming secondary purulent foci throughout body. They, by analogy with distant metastases in malignant neoplasms, are also called purulent metastatic foci.


    Symptoms of local infection

    The most common inflammatory diseases that occur are:

    • purulent skin lesions: furunculosis, carbuncles, microbial eczema;
    • damage to the mucous membranes: secondary microbial rhinitis, blepharitis and conjunctivitis;
    • sore throat, microbial pharyngitis, the occurrence of retropharyngeal and peripharyngeal abscesses;

    Sometimes there are more dangerous diseases, for example, pneumonia, or kidney damage.

    Why is staphylococcus dangerous during pregnancy?

    Staphylococcus during pregnancy is dangerous due to the following threatening situations:

    • The occurrence of septicemia, septicopyemia, septic shock. This is a colossal threat to the life of the fetus. Even if bacteria and their toxins have not entered the fetoplacental bloodstream, a sharp drop in blood pressure in the mother causes a threatening situation that can lead to his death.
    • The development of peritonitis due to an ascending gynecological infection.
    • Infection of membranes and fetal tissues.
    • Development of purulent mastitis and penetration of the pathogen into breast milk.

    Symptoms of an infectious process caused by staphylococcus usually appear:

    • redness;
    • swelling of soft tissues;
    • feeling of local heat in the area of ​​inflammation.

    The influence of staphylococcus on pregnancy is not limited to local damage and suppuration. If an infection occurs during internal organs, manifestations may be specific.

    Diagnostics. What tests should I take?

    First of all, you need to strictly fulfill all the requirements of the gynecologist and pass necessary tests even before conception, in order to have time to fully treat the identified infection.

    Let's consider the most common cases of staphylococcus in various biological materials in pregnant women.

    Gynecological smear

    During pregnancy, staphylococcus can be found in a smear, however, only a few cases should be wary:

    • its abundant growth (formation of colonies);
    • number of more than 1000 cells in the field of view;
    • isolation of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).

    Urine

    During bacteriological culture of urine, the saprophytic variant is most often isolated. Staphylococcus in urine during pregnancy is undesirable, especially in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. The fact is that the growing uterus can compress the ureters, as a result pyelonephritis of pregnant women develops due to stagnation of urine in the overlying formations of the renal collecting system. Usually after childbirth this condition goes away, but the presence of staphylococcus can transform this process into a purulent one, which is fraught with ascending urosepsis.

    Examination of ENT organs

    The throat and nose are often called the “portal of entry” for any respiratory infection. And if staphylococcus is found in the throat during pregnancy, then you should not panic ahead of time. Most often, hemolytic, low-hazard staphylococcus is isolated there, which produces insignificant and non-aggressive growth.

    In the event that staphylococcus is found in the nose during pregnancy , then also using local treatment it is possible to achieve complete elimination of the pathogen, even if it turns out to be the most dangerous Staphylococcus aureus.

    Treatment of staphylococcus during pregnancy

    It is important to remember that the use of antibiotics is contraindicated during pregnancy. Therefore, it is much easier to cure the throat and nose than the kidneys and urinary tract. There is a rule according to which the use of antibiotics during pregnancy is only possible if the benefit to the mother and baby outweighs the risk.

    Therefore, they use means without side effects. These drugs include bacteriophage, or staphylococcus-killing virus. Staphylococcal bacteriophage is absolutely safe and highly effective during pregnancy.

    Treatment of diseases caused by Staphylococcus aureus during pregnancy should be comprehensive. Thus, all kinds of local treatment options are used, without introducing antibiotics into the blood. These include: inhalation, irrigation, douching and many other methods.

    They use drugs that increase the level of maternal immune defense and do not affect the fetus (Timalin, T-activin), multivitamins and mineral complexes.

    Only when there is a real threat of the spread of infection and the appearance of general reactions of the body to the purulent process, antibacterial therapy is carried out with all precautions to reduce potential harm to the baby to a minimum. Considering that some strains of Staphylococcus aureus are highly resistant to most antibiotics, we have to use the most modern and expensive drugs.

    Treatment of staphylococcus during pregnancy in advanced cases will be difficult and lengthy. However, it may not be required at all if you are still at the pregnancy planning stage. future mom will thoroughly check your body, eliminate all foci of chronic infection, cure your teeth, colds. It is important to maintain a rest regime; you must devote sufficient time to sleep. A pregnant woman's nutrition should be complete, stress and hypothermia should be avoided.

    You should see your doctor regularly antenatal clinic and follow all instructions. Only in this case, the opportunistic flora, which includes staphylococcus, will not become pathogenic for the body of the mother and child.

    Useful video about the diagnosis and manifestations of Staphylococcus aureus

    Replies

    Such a ubiquitous and famous microorganism - of course, we will talk about staphylococcus.

    We can say that in fact, microorganisms such as staphylococcus surround a person literally from the very first moment of his birth. Moreover, this microorganism easily finds refuge in the human body and then quite successfully “coexists” with the person himself, staying either on clothes, or in dust, or on objects in our environment, and even in human secretions such as saliva. And moreover, today science knows more than 27 various types specifically this microorganism, the vast majority of which, fortunately, do not pose any threat to an adult. However, at the same time, doctors are trying to classify staphylococcus as a so-called rather dangerous “opportunistic” bacteria that will not cause real harm but for the time being - or rather, until the body’s immune system weakens... which, of course the same happens when pregnancy occurs.

    And, as we all know, it is pregnancy that quite often becomes the determining or even decisive factor for a sharp weakening of the immune system and the development of the disease. And in fact, it is precisely against this background - while the body’s defenses are sharply reduced - that it is indeed quite possible for such a not entirely pleasant, and sometimes even threatening, manifestation as the activity of staphylococcus during pregnancy. And since the most common “places for habitation and vital activity” of staphylococcus are the mucous membrane of the nose and pharynx, as well as neglected carious teeth, it is not at all surprising that doctors urgently recommend that literally all pregnant women urgently visit an otolaryngologist and a dentist .

    The main types of staphylococcus that is dangerous for a pregnant woman

    So, if we talk about existing types staphylococcus, which can pose a real threat to a pregnant woman, then today there are only three types of such bacteria. There are, of course, many more bacteria that do not pose a real threat to a pregnant woman.

    But modern doctors classify saprophytic staphylococcus as the least dangerous of these three species, the main location of which is most often the entire human genitourinary system and the skin near the genitals. As you understand, accordingly, saprophytic staphylococcus can cause complications during pregnancy, mostly related specifically to inflammation of the bladder, or sometimes to inflammation of the kidneys.

    Epidermal staphylococcus is considered to be somewhat more dangerous during pregnancy, which, by the way, “lives” only on the surface of the skin. And despite its main location, this epidermal type of staphylococcus definitely does not cause real skin problems if it is “activated,” but if it gets into the blood, it can cause sepsis, as well as acute inflammation of the inner lining of the heart.

    And doctors call Staphylococcus aureus the “leader” in terms of the danger of consequences that can arise in case of accidental infection. This type of staphylococcus is considered very, very harmful, since it poses a real threat to both the expectant mother and the baby actively growing in her womb. For the woman herself, Staphylococcus aureus can be dangerous due to the subsequent development of many complex diseases - such as pneumonia, meningitis, peritonitis, severe purulent processes. Perhaps Staphylococcus aureus is also fraught with the development of numerous skin complications, such as the development of boils, acne, or barley. But as for the fetus, unfortunately, in this particular case, Staphylococcus aureus can carry with it an incredibly great danger - primarily in the form of acute infection of all membranes and the baby itself. Thus, simply living on the mother’s skin, Staphylococcus aureus can most likely penetrate directly into the woman’s mammary gland and provoke the acute development of such a diagnosis as purulent mastitis. It is also extremely dangerous because, by releasing incredibly dangerous toxins into the human body, it can also affect a newborn, the real consequence of which can be the formation of huge painful blisters directly on the baby’s skin, such as those that occur after burns.

    To put it bluntly, it would be advisable to exclude some possibility of carrying a microbe such as staphylococcus at the planning stage in general, before pregnancy. However, even in this case, a woman should not disdain the so-called perinatal diagnosis. This is necessary, first of all, in order to clearly determine the presence or complete absence of the threat of staphylococcus, and usually a small smear is taken for analysis directly from the nasal cavity and from the pharynx. Then an experienced specialist manually counts the existing bacterial colonies, and in the event that their total number sharply exceeds the norm, your doctor will determine the need for adequate treatment.

    The doctor always selects his own individual treatment regimen in each individual case - naturally, this is done depending on the general location of the infection and the existing form of the disease. And, despite the fact that traditionally, staphylococcus has a truly high resistance to various antibiotics, therapy for this staphylococcal infection is still not possible without these drugs. It should, however, be noted that the most suitable antibiotics should be selected by a strictly qualified doctor, taking into account, in addition, the sensitivity of bacteria to a specific series of antibiotics and also taking into account interesting situation the woman herself. In parallel with antibiotics, doctors also use local antibacterial drugs to treat staphylococcus. medications, sometimes immunomodulatory agents, and even bacteriophages. In the same case, when the staphylococcal infection is strictly localized in the nasopharynx or throat, the patient is advised to strictly regularly rinse with an alcohol solution such as Chlorphillipt. In some cases, Chlorphillipt is also instilled into the nasal passages, but in an oil solution. Conventional quartz treatment is often used to treat staphylococcus, but to avoid infection of the unborn child, immunization of a pregnant woman with staphylococcal toxoid is used.

    Measures to prevent staphylococcus during pregnancy

    Everyone knows that almost any disease would be much easier and more correct to avoid than to actively fight it later. Actually, staphylococcal infection during pregnancy is much easier to avoid than to treat. Prevention, in in this case, is necessary so that you don’t have to worry at all about what exactly this infection can ultimately turn out to be for both the mother and her child. Basic preventive measures to avoid infection with staphylococcus are, first of all, to strictly follow the standard and fairly simple rules personal hygiene. And given the fact that staphylococcus most often develops during pregnancy due to decreased immunity, a woman should pay close attention to her health.

    And this means walking in nature, in the fresh air, as often as possible, eating a healthy, balanced, and nutritious diet, regularly ventilating the room without fail, and, of course, not neglecting special physical education. And in addition to the fact that a pregnant woman needs to regularly wash her hands with soap and take a warm shower, she is also strongly recommended to wash her mammary glands no less regularly with soap, and then wipe them dry with a fresh towel. It must be said that in the case when preventive measures did not work, at the first manifestation of the slightest, or, modern experts strongly advise gargling with a regular soda solution. Moreover, it’s very easy to prepare such a solution; you just need to add salt, a teaspoon of soda and a couple of drops of iodine to a glass of warm water. But it’s better to wipe your nose with a regular cotton swab, previously soaked in an alcohol solution of Chlorphillipt or even Furacilin. And after that, still consult with your doctor, remember, God protects the best!

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