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Infant abduction prevention device produces skin infections
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Periumbilical skin and soft-tissue infections can develop in newborns from security devices intended to prevent abduction, according to a recent investigation.
“Infant security systems are frequently utilized in newborn nurseries to guard against infant abduction,” Kenneth M. Zangwill, MD, from the department of infection prevention and control at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, and colleagues wrote. “We report the occurrence of several cases of periumbilical skin or soft tissue infection (PSSTI) associated with the use of such devices on newborn babies.”
In a case ascertainment, the department of infection prevention and control at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (HUMC) investigated the possibility of PSSTI as a direct result of attaching a tracking device to a newborn’s body or umbilical cord clamp. The researchers analyzed discharge coding data and a pediatric infectious disease consult tracking system on infants aged younger than 56 days who were admitted to the well-infant or intermediate-care nursery at HUMC between September 1, 2012 and December 31, 2014.
Some 282 infants received the device whereas 1,138 did not. Researchers observed 109 potential cases of PSSTI, with 11 infants (10%) meeting case definition. Among these infants, 46% wore the device. Researchers observed the PSSTI incidence was 7.1 per 1,000 device days compared with 2.1 per 1,000 nondevice days (RR = 3.4; 95% CI, 1-11). All newborns affected with PSSTI received antimicrobials to successfully treat the infection.
“The pathogenesis of the PSSTI in our newborns related to physical microtrauma of the skin from the combined weight of the device and cord clamp to which it was attached,” Zangwill and researchers concluded. “Its use increased the risk of PSSTI by more than threefold, thereby prolonging hospital length of stay and exposure to antimicrobial therapy.” – by Savannah Demko
Disclosure: Zangwill and the other researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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