A double-blind, randomized comparison of clindamycin-gentamicin versus cefamandole for treatment of post-cesarean section endomyometritis

Abstract

Among patients with endomyometritis after cesarean section, a double-blind comparison of clindamycin-gentamicin versus cefamandole-placebo therapy was performed. Study criteria were: exclusion--use of prophylactic antibiotics or allergy to the drugs used; entry--uterine tenderness, oral temperature greater than or equal to 101 degrees F, and leukocytosis. Uterine specimens for culture were obtained via a single-lumen transcervical catheter. Most common isolates were Bacteroides bivius, Escherichia coli, and anaerobic cocci. Bacteremia occurred in 9.0%. Therapy results were: [Chart: see text]. Therapeutic failures were defined as persistent fever despite 3 or more days of treatment. Among the six clindamycin-gentamicin therapeutic failures, one patient had a resistant organism, and one had a pelvic mass. Among the 13 cefamandole-placebo therapeutic failures, three patients had resistant organisms, and one had a pelvic mass. Cause of persistent fever was not evident in the other patients. Side effects that necessitated discontinuation of therapy were: clindamycin-gentamicin group--diarrhea (six), allergic response (one); cefamandole-placebo group--diarrhea (two), allergic response (one). If the common practice of excluding side-effect failures is followed, there were more cures in the clindamycin-gentamicin group (P = 0.06).