Penicillin-tetracycline prophylaxis in cesarean delivery: prospective and randomized comparison of short and long term therapy.

A prospective and randomized study was undertaken to determine the safety and efficacy of low price and discouraging bacterial resistance agents, given for 12 hours versus 72 hours, as prophylaxis at cesarean section. Ninety six patients received penicillin (ten million units) intravenously and tetracycline (0.25 g) intramuscularly at cord clamping and 12 hours postoperatively (table I). Among them 14% of febrile morbidity was recorded (table II). Eighty seven patients received the same treatment followed by oral ampicillin (2 g) and tetracycline (1.5 g) per day, for a further 60 hours (table I). Maternal febrile morbidity was not further reduced by the oral additional treatment (table II). This regiment prophylactic effect is comparable to previous reported data concerning other protocols, and even better, while expenses are reduced and efficacy for important pathogens such as chlamydia and mycoplasma is obtained. No side effects of the drugs were recorded.