Association between antibiotic prophylaxis and adverse perinatal outcomes in premature rupture of membranes

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between antibiotic prophylaxis and adverse perinatal outcomes in premature rupture of membranes.

This retrospective cohort included pregnant women with premature rupture of membranes (between 24 and 33+6 weeks) who used or did not use prophylactic antibiotics. Pearson's chi-square (χ²) test, Student's t-test, and binary logistic regression were used for statistical analysis.

A significant effect was observed in patients with premature rupture of membranes using prophylactic antibiotics regarding amniotic fluid index (p=0.007), deepest vertical pocket (p=0.049), duration of antibiotic therapy (p≤0.001), C-reactive protein level upon admission (p≤0.001), leukocyte count upon admission (p=0.007), and length of stay in neonatal intensive care (p=0.047). A significant association was observed between the abovementioned patients and surfactant use during the neonatal period (p=0.04). A higher prevalence of surfactant use was noted in these patients (20.0 vs. 8.7%; p=0.04).

No association was found between antibiotic prophylaxis and the presence of adverse perinatal outcomes in pregnant women with premature rupture of membranes between 24 and 33+6 weeks of gestation.