Risk-based versus alternative algorithms for antibiotic prophylaxis among women seeking early suction abortion: a cost-effectiveness simulation.

BACKGROUND: Particularly in resource-poor settings, simple, inexpensive, and cost-effective algorithms are needed to direct antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent sequelae of infections with Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and bacterial vaginosis-associated organisms among women undergoing abortion.

GOAL: To assess the prevalence of and risk factors for infections among women seeking abortion in Bali, Indonesia, and to use these data in designing a cost-effective risk-based prophylaxis algorithm.

STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional analysis and data-based simulation of risk-based and alternative prophylaxis algorithms were performed.

RESULTS: The risk-based algorithm would have provided prophylaxis to 70% (95% CI, 53-83%) of women with cervical infection, 64% (95% CI, 54-74%) of those with bacterial vaginosis, and 57% (95% CI, 42-72%) of those with trichomoniasis. For cervical infection, the algorithm was more cost effective than all others evaluated. The cost-effectiveness was acceptable for bacterial vaginosis.

CONCLUSIONS: Risk-based algorithms may be cost effective in identifying women likely to benefit from preabortion prophylaxis. Prospective evaluation is needed to validate these findings.