Description

Preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM) is the most common identifiable risk factor associated with preterm birth and affects 1 in 3 pregnant individuals in the United States with spontaneous preterm birth. Individuals diagnosed with PPROM who meet criteria for expectant management are currently admitted to the hospital for observation until delivery, which is generally recommended at 34 weeks' gestation unless indicated sooner. Initially upon admission, a course of prophylactic antibiotics is administered as this has been shown to prolong pregnancy and improve neonatal outcomes. The standard antibiotic regimen, primarily based on data published in 1997, includes ampicillin followed by amoxicillin with erythromycin or azithromycin for a total of 7 days. Ongoing studies are needed to determine the optimal prophylactic antibiotic regimen given changes in bacterial sensitivities over time, lack of adequate coverage for common organisms including genital mycoplasma, inadequate placental transfer of currently used antibiotic agents, ineffective antibiotic response at reducing the fetal inflammatory response, and new promising antibiotic agents that address these limitations. A promising expanded-spectrum alternative regimen with proof-of-concept is ceftriaxone, clarithromycin, and metronidazole. Observational studies have shown successful eradication of intraamniotic inflammation/infection using this new regimen. This regimen offers multiple potential advantages, including: higher bioavailability, higher transplacental transfer, and effectiveness against genital mycoplasma (clarithromycin), greater anaerobic coverage (metronidazole), and a longer half-life and expanded coverage against gram-negative bacteria (ceftriaxone) compared with the current standard regimen.