J Korean Soc Neonatol.  2009 Nov;16(2):163-171.

Pathogens and Prognotic Factors for Early Onset Sepsis in Very Low Birth Weight Infants

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. wonspark@skku.edu
  • 2Department of Pediatrics, Masan Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
  • 3Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
  • 4Department of Pediatrics, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Korea.
  • 5Department of Pediatrics, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan Paik Hospital, Korea.

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was conducted to determine the incidence, causative pathogens, risk factors and mortality for early onset sepsis in the first three days in very low birth weight infants.
METHODS
The medical records of 1,124 very low birth weight infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Samsung Medical Center between November 1994 and December 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. The incidence, causative pathogens, risk factors, and mortality for early onset sepsis in the first 3 days of life in very low birth weight infants were evaluated.
RESULTS
Early onset sepsis, as confirmed by positive blood cultures, was present in 17 of 1,124 infants (1.5%). Sixty-four percent of the isolated pathogens were gram-positive bacteria and 35% of the isolated pathogens were gram-negative bacteria. The dominant pathogens of early onset sepsis included Staphylococcus aureus (23.5%), Esherichia coli (23.5%), and Enterococcus (17.6%). Vaginal delivery (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 3.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3-10.3; P=0.01) was associated with early onset sepsis. The overall mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.4-6.5; adjusted P=0.0039) and mortality within 72 hours of life (adjusted hazard ratio, 6.5; 95% CI, 2.2-18.9; adjusted P=0.0005) of infants with early onset sepsis were higher than that of uninfected infants.
CONCLUSION
Early onset sepsis remains an uncommon, but potentially lethal problem among very low birth weight infants. Knowledge of the likely causative organisms and risk factors for early onset sepsis can aid in instituting prompt and appropriate therapy, in order to minimize mortality.

Keyword

Very low birth weight infants; Early onset sepsis

MeSH Terms

Enterococcus
Gram-Negative Bacteria
Gram-Positive Bacteria
Humans
Incidence
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Very Low Birth Weight
Intensive Care, Neonatal
Medical Records
Odds Ratio
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors
Sepsis
Staphylococcus aureus
Full Text Links
  • JKSN
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr