Preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) occurs before 37 weeks of gestation, accounting for approximately one-third of cases of preterm birth and increased maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Several protocols recommend expectant management between 24 and 36 weeks of gestation, in order to allow acomplishment of fetal maturation and to avoid the dramatic consequences of prematurity. Despite benefits related to gestational prolongation, the most feared risk from this protocol is the increase of maternal-fetal infection. For this reason, the use of prophylactic antibiotics is recommended, although there is no consensus regarding the best choice. The objective of the present review was to analyze the impact of antibiotic prophylaxis on maternal and neonatal outcomes in cases of PPROM. It was observed that further studies are needed with the aim of standardizing the best antibiotic regimen in PPROM, as well as defining the actual maternal and neonatal outcomes, at long term, from its use.

To analyze whether femtosecond laser-assisted surgery leads to less cumulative dissipated energy (CDE) and decreased endothelial cell loss compared to conventional surgery. Patients and Methods: This non-blinded, non-randomized, quasi-experimental clinical trial was conducted at one center and involved one surgeon. Patients with cataracts and 50-80 years old were included, and the exclusion criteria were radial keratotomy, trabeculectomy, drain tube implant, corneal transplant, posterior vitrectomy, and re-implantation of intraocular lens. In total, 298 patients were recruited between October 2020 and April 2021, and the data collected included sex, laterality, age, ocular comorbidities, systemic comorbidities and CDE. An endothelial cell count was performed before and after surgery. Patients were divided according to femtosecond laser-assisted phacoemulsification or conventional phacoemulsification. The femtolaser patients were submitted to the equipment, and then, immediately after treatment, phacoemulsification surgery was performed. In the conventional method, the "divide and conquer" technique was used. The statistical analysis was made using an analysis of covariance linear model, using SAS version 9.4 (SAS Institute, Inc., 1999). Values with p < 0.05 were considered significant. Results: A total of 132 patients were analyzed. The only statistically relevant predictors of CDE were the severity of the cataract (p < 0.0001) and age of ≥75 years (p = 0.0003). The following factors were not significant: technique with or without laser (p = 0.6862), sex (p = 0.8897), systemic arterial hypertension (p = 0.1658), and diabetes (p = 0.9017). Grade 4 cataracts were associated with higher CDE than grade 3 cataracts, which in turn were associated with higher CDE than grade 2 cataracts. A comparison of pre-and post-operative specular microscopy with and without laser revealed no significant discrepancy (p = 0.5017). Conclusion: Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery did not reduce CDE or endothelial cell loss compared to conventional surgery regardless of severity.

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