Diagnostic criteria;
Minimum criteria for clinical diagnosis (one or more of the following minimum clinical criteria should be present) are as follows:
- Bilateral lower abdominal (uterine) tenderness (sometimes radiating to the legs)
- Cervical motion tenderness – Positive cervical motion tenderness is defined as increased discomfort from a normal pelvic examination, as stated by the patient. Of note, cervical motion tenderness is neither sensitive nor specific for gynaecologic pathology, is a sign of nonspecific peritoneal inflammation,
- Bilateral adnexal tenderness (with or without a palpable mass)
One or more of the following additional criteria can be used to enhance the specificity of the minimum criteria and support a diagnosis of PID:
- oral temperature >101° F (>38.3° C);
- abnormal cervical or vaginal mucopurulent discharge;
- presence of abundant numbers of WBC on saline microscopy of vaginal fluid;
- elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate;
- elevated C-reactive protein; and
- laboratory documentation of cervical infection with N. gonorrhoeae or C. trachomatis.
