Bacteriologic effects of prophylactic antibiotics in cesarean section.

An eight-hour course of prophylactic clindamycin and gentamicin was given to 54 service patients undergoing cesarean section. Aerobic and anaerobic endometrial cultures obtained from eight patients who developed endometritis after prophylaxis revealed major changes in flora. Compared to infected patients who had received no prophylaxis, the clindamycin-gentamicin group had marked decreases in aerobic and anaerobic cocci and Bacteroides but increases in E. coli and enterococci. However, this regimen was found to be no more effective than the previously reported regimen of ampicillin and kanamycin.