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Early-onset sepsis increased mortality, morbidity risk
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Early-onset sepsis increases the risk for mortality and major morbidities in very low birth weight infants, according to recent study findings published in The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.
Early-onset sepsis developed in 391 very low birth weight infants born from 2006 to 2009.
Gram-positive bacteria was the most common pathogen responsible for early-onset sepsis (53.9%), and 22.5% of episodes had coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated.
Longer hospital stay, increased risk for mortality (adjusted OR=2.4; 95% CI, 1.9-3.1), respiratory distress syndrome (OR=1.4; 95% CI, 1.1-1.9), severe intraventricular hemorrhage (adjusted OR=2.1; 95% CI, 1.6-2.8), and severe retinopathy of prematurity (adjusted OR=5; 95% CI, 1.9-13.3) were all associated with early-onset sepsis.
Infants with early-onset sepsis caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci had similar morbidity and mortality rates compared with infants with early-onset sepsis caused by other pathogens.
“Early-onset sepsis is an uncommon problem among [very low birth weight] infants but it affects the outcome of these infants and is potentially lethal,” the researchers wrote. “Because of the early use of aggressive life support measures from the time of birth, the epidemiology of [early-onset sepsis] is changing. We believe that hospital-acquired pathogens like [coagulase-negative staphylococci], are key causes of early sepsis in [very low birth weight] infants and are associated with severe morbidity and an increased mortality rate.”
Disclosure: The study was funded in part by DG SANCO and the Italian Society of Tropical Infectious Diseases.
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