ANODE trial demonstrates that prophylactic antibiotics after childbirth reduce infections and overall antibiotic use

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Published on Tuesday, 14 May 2019 Tweet

Results of the ANODE (prophylactic ANtibiotics for the prevention of infection following Operative DElivery) trial have been published in the Lancet journal. The study found that a single dose of antibiotic after assisted vaginal births can reduce the risk of infection by 56% up to six weeks after delivery, and reduce antibiotic use by 17%.

One in five women experience an infective complication after operative vaginal birth, and according to the senior author of the study, Professor Marian Knight, prophylactic antibiotics can prevent over 7,000 of these infections annually in the UK.

The results of the ANODE trial also have implications for healthcare resources: women who received prophylactic antibiotic were less likely to report visiting a GP, nurse, midwife or hospital outpatient department in relation to concerns about wound healing compared to those who received placebo. According to lead health economist Associate Professor Oliver Rivero-Arias, this resulted in a mean NHS cost saving of £52.60 per woman at six weeks.

You can read more about the findings of the ANODE trial here.