A PROFILE OF INPATIENT STD-RELATED PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE IN THETOP END OF THE NORTHERN-TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA

Objective: To obtain a profile of inpatient STD-related pelvic inflamm atory disease (PID) in the Top End of the Northern Territory. Design: Review of case records. Setting: The Royal Darwin Hospital, the tertia ry referral centre for the Top End, during the three years from June 1 991 to May 1994. Patients: All admissions with a diagnosis of STD-rela ted PID. Main outcome measures: The presentation and incidence of STD- related PID in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women. Results: PID was t he reason for 14% of admissions of Aboriginal women and 2% of non-Abor iginal women. Of 175 episodes of PID in 169 patients admitted over the three years of the study, 41 (23%) had gonorrhoea, 64 (37%) had chlam ydia and 7 (4%) had both organisms isolated on genital swab. Aborigina l women were more than twice as likely to have gonorrhoea (38% versus 18%; risk ratio, 2.12; 95% confidence interval, 1.27-3.53) as non-Abor iginal women. Median time from first symptoms to presentation was six days. All gonococcal isolates were penicillin susceptible. Conclusions : STD-related pelvic inflammatory disease is an important problem amon g women in the Top End of the Northern Territory. As PID is a preventa ble illness, further measures aimed at prevention and earlier, more ef fective treatment of STDs that cause PID are urgently required.