A RANDOMIZED STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF PERORAL AMOXICILLIN IN WOMEN WITHPRELABOR RUPTURE OF MEMBRANES PRETERM

One hundred and six third trimester pregnant women with prelabour rupt ure of membranes preterm were randomised to either peroral amoxicillin 0.75 g 3 times daily (n = 50) or placebo (n = 56) in a blinded way. T he patients were hospitalised in bed for 7 days unless contractions st arted and delivery ensued. Only 1 patient was discharged after 7 days of treatment, while the remaining ones delivered within 1 week after a dmission. The average rupture-to-expulsion interval was 68.4 h in the placebo group and 91.7 h in the amoxicillin group, implying a signific antly prolonged stay by 43% in the amoxicillin group (p = 0.03). The o ther outcome variables registered (birth weight, stillbirth prevalence , vaginal haemorrhage and postpartum endometritis-myometritis) did not differ significantly in the two treatment groups. There was a trend t owards a longer duration of stay in the neonatal ward among newborns i n the amoxicillin group suffering neonatal death (p = 0.06). It is con cluded that antibiotic treatment of this group of women may be justifi ed in settings were sexually transmitted diseases and other genital in fections are prevalent, whereas such treatment is less likely to have an effect when genital infection is rare.