A woman at 36 weeks with ruptured membranes is given a certain class of medication to prevent infection while awaiting labor. Which class is most likely given to the mother?

A woman at 36 weeks with ruptured membranes is given a certain class of medication to prevent infection while awaiting labor. Which class is most likely given to the mother?

• A. Analgesic
• B. Antipyretic
• C. Oxytocic
• D. Antibiotic

Answer: (D)

When membranes rupture, a protective barrier is lost and bacteria from the vagina can ascend, raising the risk of maternal infection (like chorioamnionitis) and neonatal infection. To reduce this infection risk while waiting for labor, antibiotics are given prophylactically. They work by killing or inhibiting bacteria, lowering the chances of infection for both mother and baby and even helping to prolong pregnancy in some cases. Other options don’t address infection risk: analgesics relieve pain, antipyretics reduce fever but don’t prevent infection, and oxytocics stimulate contractions to induce labor rather than prevent infection. So the antibiotic class is the appropriate choice.

When membranes rupture, a protective barrier is lost and bacteria from the vagina can ascend, raising the risk of maternal infection (like chorioamnionitis) and neonatal infection. To reduce this infection risk while waiting for labor, antibiotics are given prophylactically. They work by killing or inhibiting bacteria, lowering the chances of infection for both mother and baby and even helping to prolong pregnancy in some cases. Other options don’t address infection risk: analgesics relieve pain, antipyretics reduce fever but don’t prevent infection, and oxytocics stimulate contractions to induce labor rather than prevent infection. So the antibiotic class is the appropriate choice.