Azithromycin for Cerclage Prophylaxis

May 20, 2026 updated by: Wake Forest University Health Sciences

Evaluating Azithromycin Prophylaxis and Mycoplasma Prevalence in High-Risk Pregnancies Requiring Cerclage: A Prospective Cohort Study

The primary goal is to assess the effectiveness in pregnancy prolongation utilizing azithromycin at the time of transvaginal cervical cerclage placement.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The overall objective of this prospective two-arm randomized study is to (1) randomize subjects to azithromycin surgical prophylaxis versus placebo, plus the standard of care - cefazolin, at the time of cerclage placement and evaluate the impact on preterm delivery <37 weeks, <34 weeks and <28 weeks and (2) determine the prevalence of mycoplasma species in cerclage patients. Pregnant women who are candidates for cervical cerclage will be enrolled and divided into two cohorts (approximately 40 per group): (1) Cerclage + Azithromycin prophylaxis (treatment group), and (2) Cerclage without azithromycin prophylaxis (control group). Both groups will receive otherwise usual care.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
80

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Illinois
      • Oak Lawn, Illinois, United States, 60453
        • Advocate Christ Medical Center
        • Contact:
      • Park Ridge, Illinois, United States, 60068
        • Advocate Lutheran General Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Singleton gestation at 16+0 to 23+6 weeks of gestational age at the time of enrollment
  • Indication for transvaginal cerclage placement
  • Intact amniotic membranes

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Evidence of active infection or chorioamnionitis at presentation
  • Preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM)
  • Multiple gestation
  • HIV positive status
  • Known severe allergy or contraindication to macrolide antibiotics (azithromycin or erythromycin)
  • Use of systemic antibiotics within the past 7 days (to avoid altered baseline vaginal microbiome)
  • Major fetal anomaly or known chromosomal abnormalities that significantly affect viability
  • Any maternal condition that would ethically preclude expectant management of pregnancy irrespective of cerclage

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Cerclage and Azithromycin Prophylaxis
women at high risk for mid-trimester loss or early preterm birth who choose to undergo a cerclage as part of standard care recommendations
Drug: Azithromycin Prophylaxis
500 mg of IV azithromycin prior to cerclage placement in the operating room or pre-operative area.
Drug: Cefazolin
All participants will receive standard of care cefazolin. First dose is to be given preoperatively, and the next two doses to be given 8 and 16 hours postoperatively. Participants weighing less than 100 kg will receive 2 g cefazolin, and those weighing 100 kg or more will receive 3 g cefazolin.
Active Comparator: Cerclage Without Azithromycin Prophylaxis
women at high risk for mid-trimester loss or early preterm birth who choose to undergo a cerclage as part of standard care recommendations
Drug: Cefazolin
All participants will receive standard of care cefazolin. First dose is to be given preoperatively, and the next two doses to be given 8 and 16 hours postoperatively. Participants weighing less than 100 kg will receive 2 g cefazolin, and those weighing 100 kg or more will receive 3 g cefazolin.
Drug: Azithromycin Placebo
normal saline placebo IV infusion prior to cerclage placement in the operating room or pre-operative area

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Latency from Cerclage to Delivery
Time Frame: Up to Week 42
Number of days from cerclage to delivery
Up to Week 42
Gestational Age at Delivery
Time Frame: Up to Week 42
Gestational age at delivery measured in weeks and days
Up to Week 42

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Incidence of Chorioamnionitis
Time Frame: Up to Week 42
number of participants with chorioamnionitis
Up to Week 42
Incidence of Preterm Premature Birth
Time Frame: 28 weeks gestation, 34 weeks gestation, 37 weeks gestation
Number of participants that experienced preterm premature birth
28 weeks gestation, 34 weeks gestation, 37 weeks gestation
Incidence of Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes
Time Frame: up to 37 weeks gestation
Number of participants that experienced preterm premature rupture of membranes
up to 37 weeks gestation
Complications from Cerclage
Time Frame: Up to Week 42
Number participants that experienced complications from cerclage
Up to Week 42
Prevalence of Mycoplasma Infection or Colonization
Time Frame: Up to Week 42
Number of participants with prevalence of mycoplasma infection or colonization
Up to Week 42

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Neonate Birth Weight
Time Frame: day of delivery
weight of neonate at birth
day of delivery
Apgar Scores
Time Frame: 1 minute post delivery, 5 minutes post delivery
The Apgar score is a standardized test used to rapidly assess a newborn's health immediately after birth. It is evaluated at 1 minute (to see how the baby handled delivery) and 5 minutes (to check how the baby is adapting to life outside the womb). Total score range is 0-10 with a higher score indicating newborn is adapting well to life outside the womb.
1 minute post delivery, 5 minutes post delivery
Number of NICU Admissions
Time Frame: day of delivery
number of neonates admitted to NICU after delivery
day of delivery
Length of NICU Admission
Time Frame: up to month 12
number of days neonates spent in NICU
up to month 12
Neonate Survival Rate
Time Frame: up to month 12
percent of neonate survival
up to month 12
Composite Neonate Morbidity
Time Frame: up to month 12
composite neonatal morbidity is a yes/no outcome that is considered yes if any of the adverse outcomes are positive
up to month 12

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Wake Forest University Health Sciences

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Rachel Harrison, MD, Advocate Christ Medical Center

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 1, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 20, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 20, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 27, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 27, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 20, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • IRB00131410

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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