A randomized controlled trial comparing two different antibiotic regimens for prophylaxis at cesarean section.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the efficacy of intravenous single dose, less costly cefotaxime and more expensive amoxycillin-clavulanic acid combination for prophylaxis at cesarean section.


METHODS
A double blind randomized controlled trial was undertaken on 760 subjects with two parallel treatment groups. Data were analyzed using Graphpad Instat 3 McIntosh software by Student's t test, Mann-Whitney U test, the Chi-squared test or fisher's exact test.


RESULTS
Comparatively narrow spectrum low cost cefotaxime is as effective as more expensive commonly used amoxicillin-clavulanic acid with no significant difference of infectious morbidity and hospital stay (p = 0.27 and 0.11 in elective and emergency cases respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Less costly cefotaxime should be preferred compared to more costly amoxicillin-clavulanic acid combination for prophylaxis at cesarean section.
Department 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.
Gourisankar
G
Kamilya
Subrata Lall
SL
Seal
Joydev
J
Mukherji
Himangsu
H
Roy
Subir Kumar
SK
Bhattacharyya
Avijit
A
Hazra
Antibiotic; Cesarean section; Prophylaxis