ANTIBIOTIC-PROPHYLAXIS IN CASES OF EMERGENCY CESAREAN-SECTION

Prospective Randomised Trial With Regard to Maternal Morbidity after 1 g Cefotiam Antibiotics are widley applied as a prophylaxis in emergen cy Caesarean section. In our institution we used to infuse 2 g cefotia m, after cord clamping during emergency Casearean section. The current trial was conducted to prove whether a reduced dosage of 1 g is suffi cient. From September 1994 to November 1995 ninety-nine women were enr olled into the study. After the decision for emergency Caesarean secti on had been made, the patient's informed consent was obtained. Exclusi on criteria were any situation requiring antibiotic treatment or suspe cted chorioamnionitis with antibiotic therapy started during delivery. After randomisation, 53 patients received 1 g and 46 patients 29 cefo tiam. The clinical courses including events such as endometritits, mas titis, urinary tract infection or anything else, were evaluated prospe ctively. On the first and last day of the post partum period a blood c ell count and CRP determination were performed. In the 1 g group of pa tients no increase of clinical infections could be found. Neither the infection parameter nor the average or maximum temperatures differed i n either group. In the 1 g group 11 patients had temperatures above 37 ,9 degrees C, whereas there were 16 patients in the 29 group with such temperatures. This difference was not statistically significant. The incidence of clinically relevant infections is low in both groups. The 1 g dosage of cefotiam during emergency Caesarean section appears equ ivalent to the 2 g dosage.