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E-Patient Counseling Trial (E-PACO): Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy
Published on: August 1, 2019
A randomized controlled trial comparing two different antibiotic regimens for prophylaxis at cesarean section.
Gourisankar Kamilya1, Subrata Lall Seal, Joydev Mukherji
1Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, R. G. Kar Medical College, 1, Khudiram Bose Sarani, Kolkata, 700 004 India ; Bb-11/G, Salt Lake, Sector-I, Kolkata, 700 064 West Bengal India.
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of India
|February 2, 2013
Summary
Cefotaxime, a less expensive antibiotic, is as effective as amoxicillin-clavulanic acid for preventing infections during cesarean sections. This study suggests preferring cefotaxime due to its comparable efficacy and lower cost.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Infectious Disease Prevention
- Pharmacoeconomics
Background:
- Cesarean section prophylaxis aims to prevent surgical site infections.
- Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid is a commonly used, but more expensive, prophylactic agent.
- Cefotaxime offers a narrower spectrum and lower cost alternative.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of cefotaxime versus amoxicillin-clavulanic acid for cesarean section prophylaxis.
- To evaluate infectious morbidity and hospital stay between the two antibiotic groups.
- To determine the cost-effectiveness of cefotaxime in this setting.
Main Methods:
- A double-blind, randomized controlled trial involving 760 participants.
- Two parallel treatment groups received either cefotaxime or amoxicillin-clavulanic acid.
- Statistical analysis included Student's t test, Mann-Whitney U test, Chi-squared, and Fisher's exact tests.
Main Results:
- Cefotaxime demonstrated comparable efficacy to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid.
- No significant differences were observed in infectious morbidity (p=0.27 elective, p=0.11 emergency).
- Hospital stay did not significantly differ between the groups.
Conclusions:
- Cefotaxime is a cost-effective and equally effective alternative for cesarean section prophylaxis.
- Healthcare providers should consider cefotaxime over more expensive amoxicillin-clavulanic acid.
- This finding supports the use of narrower-spectrum, lower-cost antibiotics when appropriate.
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