Comparison 2. Cephalosporin versus placebo.

Outcome or subgroup title	No. of studies	No. of participants	Statistical method	Effect size
1 Total postoperative infections ‐ early and late	3		Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	Subtotals only
1.1 Vaginal hysterectomy	3	265	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.29 [0.20, 0.42]
2 Abdominal wound infection	7		Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	Subtotals only
2.1 Abdominal hysterectomy	7	1528	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.41 [0.25, 0.66]
3 Urinary tract infection	8		Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	Subtotals only
3.1 Vaginal hysterectomy	5	499	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.71 [0.46, 1.08]
3.2 Abdominal hysterectomy	6	1668	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.42 [0.31, 0.58]
4 Pelvic infection	10		Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	Subtotals only
4.1 Vaginal hysterectomy	6	1281	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.15 [0.09, 0.28]
4.2 Abdominal hysterectomy	7	1528	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.60 [0.39, 0.93]
5 Other serious infections	2		Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	Subtotals only
5.1 Vaginal hysterectomy	1	206	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.2 [0.01, 4.12]
5.2 Abdominal hysterectomy	1	220	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.33 [0.04, 3.16]
6 Postoperative fever	9		Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	Subtotals only
6.1 Vaginal hysterectomy	5	1028	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.37 [0.25, 0.54]
6.2 Abdominal hysterectomy	6	1463	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.62 [0.49, 0.77]
7 Total adverse effects	1		Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	Subtotals only
7.1 Abdominal hysterectomy	1	284	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.0 [0.06, 15.83]
8 Need for therapeutic antibiotics	5		Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	Subtotals only
8.1 Vaginal hysterectomy	3	863	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.55 [0.37, 0.81]
8.2 Abdominal hysterectomy	4	1138	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.79 [0.61, 1.01]
9 Length of hospital stay	5		Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	Subtotals only
9.1 Vaginal hysterectomy	2	657	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐1.30 [‐1.88, ‐0.72]
9.2 Abdominal hysterectomy	4	818	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐0.43 [‐0.67, ‐0.19]