Primary Outcomes
COMPLICATIONS
Clinical and economic outcomes were compared between groups, and if found relevant, an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, expressed as the incremental cost per additional unit of effectiveness gained, was calculated. The effectiveness outcome was the rate of births before 37 weeks’ gestation. Total costs included screening with point-of-care qPCR, control vaginal swabs for women with positive test results and subsequent antibiotic treatments, antenatal hospital admissions, physicians’ consultations, management of complications during pregnancy (either through inpatient or outpatient care), and neonatal care for full-term and preterm infants.