Antibiotic prophylaxis versus no prophylaxis for preventing infection after cesarean section

Prophylactic antibiotics to women undergoing elective or non-elective caesarean section decrease endometritis, wound infections, and other maternal infectious complications. However, the data on potential adverse effects, including the effect on the baby, are insufficient.

A Cochrane review included 95 studies with a total of over 15 000 women. Prophylactic antibiotics in women undergoing cesarean section reduced the incidence of wound infection ( RR 0.40, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.46; 82 studies, n=14 407), endometritis (RR 0.38, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.42; 83 studies, n=13 548) and serious maternal infectious complications (RR 0.31, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.49; 32 studies, n=6159). Similar reductions in the incidence of infections were seen for most of the antibiotics and combinations. No conclusions can be made about other maternal adverse effects or infant adverse outcomes and in particular there was no assessment of infant oral thrush. There was no systematic collection of data on bacterial drug resistance. The findings were similar whether the cesarean section was elective or non elective, and whether the antibiotic was given before or after umbilical cord clamping.

Ədəbiyyat

1. Smaill FM, Gyte GM. Antibiotic prophylaxis versus no prophylaxis for preventing infection after cesarean section. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2010 Jan 20;(1):CD007482 [Review content assessed as up-to-date: 31 July 2014].