Applying Surgical Antimicrobial Standards in Cesarean Deliveries

Abstract

(Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2018;218(4):416.e1–416.e4) Surgical site infections are costly and common in the United States. Most surgical guidelines for antimicrobial prophylaxis endorse repeat antibiotic administration after an estimated blood loss (EBL) of 1500 mL or following 1 to 2 half-lives of the agent. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have not made recommendations for redosing antibiotics in obstetric surgeries, and currently a single dose of preoperative antibiotics is considered standard of care. Parturients have increased renal clearance and may benefit from antimicrobial redosing.