Early-onset fulminant neonatal sepsis caused by Multi-Drug Resistant and ESBL producing E. coli (CTX-M gene) in a late-preterm neonate: case report and literature review.

Neonatal sepsis is a systemic condition characterized by haemodynamic changes and other clinical manifestations due to a presence of pathogenic microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, or fungi) in nor- mally sterile fluid that occurs in an infant younger than 90 days old. Neonatal sepsis may be divided into two types: early-onset neonatal sepsis (EOS) and late-onset neonatal sepsis (LOS). Gram-posi- tive microorganisms are the etiological agents in 62% of EOS, and in 43% of the total the identified microorganism is GBS. Gram-negative microorganisms comprise 37% of the etiological agents of EOS, of which 29% are caused by Escherichia coli. ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae represent a major worldwide threat among drug-resistant bacteria in both hospital and community settings. ESBLs are often located on large plasmids that also harbour genes resistant to other antimicrobial classes, resulting in multidrug-resistant isolates. Plasmid-encoded ESBLs of the CTX-M-type are increasingly reported worldwide in Gram-negative rods and now account for most of the ESBLs found in Enterobacteriaceae. We present one case of EOS by Multi Drug Resistant (MDR) and ESBL producing E. coli (CTX-M gene) in a neonate born to a mother recently immigrated from Africa. Maternal blood culture grew the same bacteria.

Ultrasound for Endotracheal Tube Tip Position in Term and Preterm Infants.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Placing an endotracheal tube (ETT) in neonates is challenging and currently requires timely radiographic confirmation of correct tip placement. The objective was to establish the reliability of ultrasound (US) for assessing ETT position in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), time needed to do so, and patients' tolerance. METHODS: A prospective study on 71 newborns admitted to our NICU whose ETT placement was evaluated with US (ETT-echo) and confirmed on chest X-rays (CXR). Data were collected by 3 operators (2 neonatologists and a resident in pediatrics). The right pulmonary artery (RPA) was used as a landmark for US. The distance between the tip of the ETT and the upper margin of the RPA was measured using US and compared with the distance between the tube's tip and the carina on the CXR. RESULTS: Seventy-one intubated newborns were included in the study (n = 34 < 1,000 g, n = 18 1,000-2,000 g, n = 19 > 2,000 g). Statistical analysis (Bland-Altman plot and Lin's concordance correlation coefficient) showed an excellent consistency between ETT positions identified on US and chest X-ray. The 2 measures (ETT-echo and CXR) were extremely concordant both in the whole sample and in the subgroups. Minimal changes in patients' vital signs were infrequently observed during US, confirming the tolerability of ETT-echo. The mean time to perform US was 3.2 min (range 1-13). CONCLUSIONS: ETT-echo seems to be a rapid, tolerable, and highly reliable method worth further investigating for future routine use in neonatology with a view to reducing radiation exposure.