Persistent foetal tachycardia as an early marker of chorion-amnionitis. Description of a clinical case.

Intra-amniotic infection (IAI) is uncommon in pregnancy (0.5-1%) and is rarely responsible for maternal mortality, but it does lead to a high rate of maternal and foetal morbidity, e.g. sepsis, septic shock, post-partum endometritis and neonatal sepsis. The diagnosis of IAI is immediate in the case of premature rupture of the membranes, whereas it is far more difficult to reach a correct and timely diagnosis when the amniotic sac is intact, as the mother's clinical symptoms are often scarce and non-specific. Foetal and maternal prognosis in IAI depends on the timely implementation of antibiotic treatment and induction of delivery in order to drain off the infected amniotic fluid. The clinical case described here not only illustrates the difficulty in diagnosing IAI, but also confirms that timely antibiotic therapy can prevent the onset of severe maternal and foetal complications.