Treatment

Treatment of PID involves:

- general support - pelvic rest - no sexual intercourse, no tampons; bed rest if febrile or systemic complications

- hospital admission if required

- blind treatment (see linked item)

- in more severe clinical disease (fever>38 C, signs of tubo-ovarian abscess or pelvic peritonitis) IV treatment is recommended

- suitable pain relief

• removal of IUCD - only if severe PID. Must be preceded by antibiotic therapy. Alternative contraception should be advised.
  
• if a sexually transmitted disease (e.g. chlamydia, gonorrhoea) then management is best undertaken by a specialist genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic. A GUM clinic will have the facilities for specialist investigation and contact tracing.
• avoiding unprotected intercourse till the treatment and follow up of both the patient and partner(s) are complete

References:

• Curry A et al. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease: Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention. Am Fam Physician. 2019 Sep 15;100(6):357-364.
• British Association for Sexual Health and HIV. UK national guideline for the management of pelvic inflammatory disease. Jan 2019 [internet publication]