Temporal Comparison of Antibiotics Administration for Caesarean Section: A Prospective Randomized Study in Baghdad

Abstract

Objectives: To compare the efficacy of antibiotic administration prior to skin incision and after clamping

of umbilical cord as attempt for preventing the rates of maternal post-caesarean infectious morbidities and

adverse neonatal outcomes.

Methods: In this prospective randomized study design, 100 pregnant women prepared to undergo CS were

randomized evenly into two groups based on time they received prophylactic antibiotics either half to one

hour prior to skin incision (group-1) or immediately after cord clamping (group-2). The post-caesarean

maternal infectious morbidities are the primary outcomes, whereas neonatal infectious morbidities are

secondary outcomes.

Results: Postpartum maternal infectious outcomes (fever, SSI, wound dehiscence, endometritis, UTI) were

significantly lower in pre-incision group as compared to post-cord clamping group as well as the mean

of maternal hospital stay respectively (P< 0.05). In spite the secondary neonatal outcomes found to be

comparable among study’s groups, but such differences did not reach the statistical significant.

Conclusion: Apart from neonatal outcomes, preoperative administrations of antibiotic significantly reduce

the maternal post-caesarean infectious morbidities in comparison to its intraoperative administration.