Methods	RCT; 3 parallel groups.
	Unit of randomization: individual.
Participants	Dates of data collection: November 1981-March 1982.
	Setting: University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
	Inclusion criteria: women undergoing emergency CS (58/60 women in spontaneous labor; classified as non-elective)
	Exclusion criteria: allergy to penicillin or cephalosporins; severe renal disease, history of pelvic infections
Interventions	Cefuroxime 750 mg IM 30-60 minutes before surgery and 8 and 16 hours after (short term)(N = 20) vs 750 mg 3 times a day for 5 days (first dose being given post-operatively after the woman had returned to the ward) (long term) (N = 20) vs no treatment (N = 20). The results of both treatment groups have been combined
Outcomes	Fever (> 100.3°F twice 6 hr apart); endometritis (fever and uterine tenderness); maternal stay (treatment 7.1 vs control 7.9 days, no variance given)
Notes	Note: the group given long-term prophylaxis received the first dose after return to the ward
	Class of antibiotic: second generation cephalosporin.
	Subgroups:
	non-elective CS; timing of administration not specified.
Risk of bias
Item	Authors’ judgement	Description
Adequate sequence generation?	Unclear	Randomly assigned.
		No further information.
Allocation concealment?	Unclear	No information was provided.
Blinding?	Unclear	Not placebo controlled.
All outcomes
Incomplete outcome data addressed?	Unclear	No losses to follow up reported.
All outcomes		1 woman was excluded because of an allergic reaction to cefuroxime
		Could not be re-included in ITT analysis.
Free of selective reporting?	Unclear	Insufficient information to judge.
Free of other bias?	Unclear	The 3 groups were comparable.There was insufficient other information which to judge
Overall low risk of bias?	Unclear	All sections unclear.