The purpose of this study was to compare preterm delivery rates and neonatal morbidity/mortality rates for women with cervical incompetence with membranes at or beyond a dilated external cervical os that was treated with emergency cerclage, bed rest plus indomethacin, versus just bed rest.

Women with cervical incompetence with membranes at or beyond a dilated external cervical os, before 27 weeks of gestation, were treated with antibiotics and bed rest and randomly assigned for emergency cerclage and indomethacin or bed rest only.

Twenty-three women were included; 13 women were allocated randomly to the emergency cerclage and indomethacin group, and 10 women were allocated randomly to the bed rest–only group. Gestational age at time of randomization was 22.2 weeks in the emergency cerclage and indomethacin group and 23.0 weeks in the bed rest–only group. Mean interval from randomization until delivery was 54 days in the emergency cerclage and indomethacin group and 20 days in the bed rest–only group (P=.046). Mean gestational age at delivery was 29.9 weeks in the emergency cerclage and indomethacin group and 25.9 weeks in the bed rest–only group. Preterm delivery before 34 weeks of gestation was significantly lower in the emergency cerclage and indomethacin group, with 7 of 13 deliveries versus all 10 deliveries in the bed rest–only group (P=.02).

Emergency cerclage, indomethacin, antibiotics, and bed rest reduce preterm delivery before 34 weeks compared with bed rest and antibiotics alone.