Herlev Hospital

Prophylactic Antibiotics Reduce Clinically Relevant Wound Complications After Obstetric Tears

- A Danish clinical trial found that prophylactic antibiotics given within 24 hours of obstetric tears significantly reduced clinically relevant wound complications from 17% to 9%. - The randomized controlled trial involved 442 women with episiotomies or second-degree tears, with treatment preventing one complication for every 12 women treated. - While overall wound complications showed no significant difference between groups, the findings support routine antibiotic use after second-degree tears or episiotomies affecting millions of women globally.