Failure of penicillin to eradicate group B streptococcal colonization in the pregnant woman. A couple study

Susan E. Gardner, Martha D. Yow, Leroy J. Leeds, Peter K. Thompson, Edward Mason, Dorothy J. Clark

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    144 Scopus citations

    Abstract

    Prophylactic treatment of couples with oral penicillin has been recommended as a means of eradicating GBS from the parturient female. In 1977 and 1978 this hypothesis was tested in an investigation of couples from a middle and upper socioeconomic group in Houston, Texas. A group of 40 women, known to be colonized with GBS during the third trimester of pregnancy, and their husbands were treated simultaneously with oral penicillin. Patients were recultured 3 weeks following completion of therapy and at the time of delivery. At the time of delivery 67% of the women remained colonized with GBS. This percentage does not differ substantially from that obtained in a series of untreated colonized women. This study demonstrates that oral penicillin treatment of couples is not an effective means of reducing maternal colonization at the time of delivery.

    Original languageEnglish (US)
    Pages (from-to)1062-1065
    Number of pages4
    JournalAmerican Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
    Volume135
    Issue number8
    DOIs
    StatePublished - Dec 15 1979

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Obstetrics and Gynecology

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