Comparative evaluation of oral versus intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis prior to obstetric and gynecological procedures.

Surgical site infections (SSI) remain among the most common post-operative complications following gynecological and obstetric surgeries. Pre-operative antibiotic prophylaxis plays a key role in preventing SSIs, with intravenous administration serving as the conventional standard. Recent interest has turned toward oral antibiotic prophylaxis as a more convenient and cost-effective alternative. Hence, this prospective comparative study included 221 women undergoing elective gynecological or obstetric procedures, randomly assigned to receive either oral antibiotics (Group A) or intravenous antibiotics (Group B) prior to surgery. Post-operative outcomes, including surgical site infection, febrile morbidity, urinary tract infection duration and hospital stay, were evaluated. Thus, we show the equivalent efficacy between oral and intravenous prophylaxis in infection prevention, advancing clinical practice by supporting oral antibiotic use as a safe, practical and economical alternative in suitable surgical cases.