Utility of intramuscular antibiotics for secondary prevention of early onset, asymptomatic 'suspected' neonatal sepsis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety, efficacy and cost-benefit of intramuscular (IM) antibiotics administration in the secondary prevention of suspected neonatal sepsis in asymptomatic term neonates. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review of inborn asymptomatic full-term neonates with birth weights ≥2000 g who required sepsis evaluation and treatment with IM antibiotics were undertaken from July 2001 to July 2008. The IM antibiotic protocol was categorized as inadequate if the neonate became symptomatic, had positive blood or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cultures or was readmitted for sepsis within 2 weeks of nursery discharge. Data were analyzed to identify relationships between key indicators for the presence of neonatal bacterial infection, 'inadequate IM antibiotics protocol' and the rehospitalization rates. RESULT: There were 29 698 infants admitted to the newborn nursery (NBN) during the study period. A total of 5045 infants (17%) were evaluated for suspected neonatal sepsis; 421 neonates (8.3%) were treated with IM antibiotics for 48 to 72 h. Fourteen infants (3.3%) met criteria for 'inadequate IM antibiotics protocol'. Seven infants developed symptoms within the first 32 h of life, and seven infants had positive blood or CSF cultures, one of whom required rehospitalization. None of the infants were hemodynamically unstable or developed complications, including adverse events associated with IM drug administration. CONCLUSION: Use of IM antibiotics is a safe alternative to intravenous antibiotics in the secondary prevention of asymptomatic term newborns with presumed sepsis. There is a substantial cost savings in caring for asymptomatic neonates with presumed sepsis in the NBN compared with neonatal intensive care unit costs.

Development of a statewide collaborative to decrease NICU central line-associated bloodstream infections.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize hospital-acquired bloodstream infection rates among New York State's 19 regional referral NICUs (at regional perinatal centers; RPCs) and develop strategies to promote best practices to reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). STUDY DESIGN: During 2006 and 2007, RPC NICUs reported bloodstream infections, patient-days and central line-days to the Department of Health, and shared their results. Aiming to improve, participants created a central line-care bundle based on visiting a potentially best performing NICU and reviewing the literature. RESULT: All 19 RPCs participated in this quality initiative, contributing 218,096 patient-days and 56,911 central line-days of observation. Individual RPC nosocomial sepsis infection (NI) rates ranged from 1.0 to 5.8 NIs per 1000 patient-days (2006), and CLABSI rates ranged from 2.6 to 15.1 CLABSIs per 1000 central line-days (2007). A six-fold rate variation among RPC NICUs was observed. Participants unanimously approved a level-1 evidence-based central line-care bundle. CONCLUSION: Individual RPC rates and consequent morbidity and resource use attributable to these infections were substantial and varied greatly. No center was without infections. It is hoped that the cooperation and accountability exhibited by the RPCs will result in a major network for characterizing performance and improving outcomes.

Splanchnic tissue oxygenation, but not brain tissue oxygenation, increases after feeds in stable preterm neonates tolerating full bolus orogastric feeding.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this prospective, observational study was to test the hypothesis that tissue oxygenation in the splanchnic bed compared with tissue oxygenation in the cerebral circulation changes after feeding in preterm neonates who are tolerating full bolus orogastric feeds. STUDY DESIGN: Clinically stable premature neonates with postmenstrual age between 32 and 35(6/7) weeks who were tolerating full bolus feedings were studied before feeding and 1 h after feeding using near-infrared spectroscopy. The ratio of oxygenated to reduced hemoglobin (tissue oxygenation index, TOI) in the splanchnic circulation bed was divided by the TOI in the cerebral circulation, thereby yielding the cerebro-splanchnic oxygenation ratio (CSOR). We compared TOI and CSOR before and after feeding. As the changes in TOI and CSOR had non-Gaussian distribution, nonparametric statistics were used. RESULT: Among 32 infants, CSOR increased significantly after feeding (median difference 0.08; range -0.48, +0.58; P=0.011), whereas pulse oximetry did not change significantly (P=0.600). The change in CSOR with feeding was associated with a significant increase in splanchnic TOI (preprandial median 43.8, range 25.2-68.4 vs postprandial 47.5, range 25.8-70.8; P=0.013), without any significant change in brain TOI (preprandial median 64.9, range 44.5-75.4 vs postprandial 58.9, range 42.2-72.3; P=0.153). CONCLUSION: This study indicates that CSOR and splanchnic TOI, but not brain TOI, increase significantly after feeding in stable preterm infants who are tolerating full orogastric feeds.

Seronegative neonatal myasthenia gravis in one of the twins.

Neonatal myasthenia gravis has been described as a transient condition affecting only a small percent of neonates. We report a twin gestation in a seronegative mother with myasthenia gravis, in which only one twin was affected.