Prophylactic antibiotics at caesarean section do not reduce costs.

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Pharmacoeconomics
• Infectious Disease Prevention

Background:

• Caesarean section is a common surgical procedure.
• Postnatal care costs and infection rates are significant concerns.
• The role of prophylactic antibiotics in reducing these costs and rates requires evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the cost-effectiveness of prophylactic antibiotics during caesarean section.
• To determine the impact of prophylactic antibiotics on infection incidence and postnatal care costs.

Main Methods:

• A prospective audit of 200 patients undergoing caesarean section.
• Comparison of infection rates, antibiotic prescribing, and duration of postnatal stay between prophylaxis and non-prophylaxis groups.
• Analysis of the total cost of antibiotics in both groups.

Main Results:

• Routine prophylactic antibiotics showed no significant effect on infection rates.
• No significant difference was observed in puerperal antibiotic prescribing or duration of postnatal stay.
• The cost of antibiotics in the prophylaxis group was more than four times higher than in the non-prophylaxis group.

Conclusions:

• Routine administration of prophylactic antibiotics at caesarean section does not reduce infection rates.
• This practice does not lead to a decrease in overall postnatal care costs.
• The current strategy of routine antibiotic prophylaxis at caesarean section is not cost-effective for reducing puerperal care expenses.