Background/objectives: Prophylactic, intravenous antibiotics are a known
protective factor for surgery-related infections in patients undergoing
caesarean section. This study aims to determine the impact of the timing of
antibiotics and their influence on postoperative infection-related morbidity.
Application 30 min before laparotomy was compared with application after
umbilical cord clamping.
Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed the data of 6,034 patients giving
birth by Caesarean section in University Clinic St. Hedwig, Regensburg.
Germany. 3,001 cases (2017–2019) received a single shot of antibiotics
30 min before skin incision (Group 1), whereas in 3,033 women delivering by
Caesarean section (2021–2023) the antibiotic was applied after cord
clamping and child development (Group 2). Excluded were 62 cases for
showing signs of infection before surgery or having a premature rupture of
membranes prior to developing an infection.
Results: 20 patients in each group developed surgery-related infections. The
calculated Odds Ratio did not differ between groups. The risk for
postoperative infection after Caesarean section was 1.6%.
Conclusions: In this study there was not found a significant difference between
the two examined time points of antibiotic application in the numbers
of postoperative infections. The results did not show an increased maternal
risk for surgery-related infections by antibiotic application after cord clamping.