Take Home Points Infections are a leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. Prompt recognition is critical in management. Most infectious processes will require admission and close observation for improvement or decompensation. REBEL Core Cast 117.0 – Infections of Pregnancy Click here for Direct Download of the Podcast Urinary Tract Infection/Pyelonephritis Epidemiology: Occurs in as many as 15% of pregnant women and between 20-40% of pregnant women with asymptomatic bacteriuria will progress to pyelonephritis (Gorgas 2008) Management: Uncomplicated UTI Suggested antibiotics include: Nitrofurantoin 100mg PO BID x7 days OR Cephalexin 500mg PO BID x7 days Pyelonephritis Hospital admission Suggested antibiotics include: Ceftriaxone 1g IV Q24H OR Aztreonam 2g IV Q8H for beta-lactam allergy Complications: Maternal sepsis Maternal renal injury Congenital abnormalities of the fetus Premature rupture of membranes Low birth weight Chorioamnionitis Definition: Also known as intraamniotic infection.  Chorioamnionitis is a bacterial infection of fetal amnion and chorion membranes. Epidemiology: Occurs in 1 to 10% of all pregnancies (Gorgas 2008) Incidence increases significantly with preterm labor Diagnosis: Chorioamnionitis is defined as maternal fever >38°C and at least two of the following (Apantaku and Mulik 2007): Maternal tachycardia >100 beats/min for five minutes