Optimal timing of prophylactic antibiotic for cesarean delivery: a randomized comparative study.

AIM: Cesarean delivery is associated with a significantly higher postoperative infection rate than that following vaginal birth and other surgical procedures. This study compared whether antibiotic prophylaxis administered preoperatively was more effective in preventing infectious morbidity following cesarean delivery than administration at cord clamping. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In a randomized comparative trial, 953 women with a period of gestation of more than 34 weeks, scheduled to have cesarean section, were randomly assigned to the prophylactic single-dose antibiotic administration either preoperatively (study group) or at cord clamping (control group). Primary outcome measure was postoperative maternal infectious morbidity and secondary outcome measures were neonatal complications, and postoperative maternal hospital stay and stay of neonates in the neonatal intensive care unit. RESULTS: Wound complications in the form of indurations, erythema and discharge, were significantly fewer in the study group as compared to the control group (10/476 vs 25/477, P = 0.010, conditional maximum likelihood estimate of odds ratio = 0.388 and 95% confidence interval = 0.175-0.805). Women in the study group also had fewer incidents of endomyometritis when compared to the control group (1.47% vs 3.56%; P = 0.041; conditional maximum likelihood estimate of odds ratio = 0.404). There was no significant difference in neonatal outcomes between the two groups. Mean postoperative stay of mothers in hospital was significantly shorter in the study group (P = 0.009, 95% confidence interval = -0.368 to -0.052) but neonatal intensive care unit stay of neonates was similar in both groups. CONCLUSION: Administration of prophylactic antibiotic at 30-60 min before skin incision resulted in better maternal outcome when infectious morbidity and postoperative hospital stay were concerned, without influencing the neonatal outcome.

A randomised comparative study on sublingual versus vaginal administration of misoprostol for termination of pregnancy between 13 to 20 weeks.

BACKGROUND: Misoprostol is the drug of choice for medical abortion worldwide but consensus is yet to be reached regarding its preferred route of administration. AIMS: To compare the outcome of sublingual with vaginal administrations of misoprostol for induction of second trimester abortion. METHODS: A randomised comparative trial where 300 women at 13-20 weeks gestation, requiring medical abortion, were randomly assigned to sublingual or vaginal route for misoprostol administration with a dose schedule of 400 microg three-hourly, up to a maximum five doses over 24 h. The same doses were repeated for another 24 h in non-responders. Primary outcome measure was complete abortion rate at 24 and 48 h, and the secondary outcome measures were induction-abortion interval, failure rate, side-effects and patients' preference to the route. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences in the complete abortion rates were observed at 24 h (64.03% vs 61.59%, P = 0.767) and at 48 h (79.14% vs 82.01%, P = 0.651) when sublingual and vaginal groups were compared. Mean induction-abortion intervals in sublingual and vaginal groups were 14.1 and 14.5 h, respectively (P = 0.066). Other outcome measures were also more or less similar in both groups. Differences in the incidence of side-effects were also statistically insignificant when both groups were compared. Sublingual administration of the drug was preferred by most of the women as compared to vaginal administration (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Both sublingual and vaginal administrations of misoprostol are equally effective in inducing medical abortion during second trimester but sublingual route was preferred by the patients.