Short-term versus long-term cefuroxime prophylaxis in patients undergoing emergency cesarean section.

A prospective randomized clinical trial was conducted to test the effectiveness of long-term and short-term prophylaxis with cefuroxime in preventing morbidity after cesarean section. Sixty patients who required emergency cesarean section were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: a control group of 20 patients receiving no prophylactic antibiotics; a group of 20 patients receiving 24 hours of cefuroxime prophylaxis (0.75 gm 30 to 60 minutes before surgery and at 8 hours and 16 hours after surgery); and a group of 20 patients receiving five days of cefuroxime prophylaxis (0.75 gm three times a day, the first dose being given postoperatively). The short-term and long-term prophylaxes were equally effective in reducing morbidity, assessed by postoperative temperatures, presence or absence of endometritis, and duration of postoperative hospital stay.