Role of preventive antibiotics in patients undergoing cesarean section

Eighty patients in labor and requiring cesarean section were selected randomly for a double-blind study using prophylactic cephalosporin and placebo. There were 26 treated patients who had no morbidity versus 13 in the control group. The reduction in endometritis was significant (P = less than .05). The most prevalent organism was Streptococcus viridans, followed by Escherichia coli. Bacterioides organisms were recovered 17 time in 11 patients. Tabulation of the fever index showed significant difference. No major complication occurred in the treatment group. Gastric aspirates from infants showed a good correlation with maternal morbidity and are suggested as a screening procedure.