[Neonatal conjunctivitis in a hospital at Gran Buenos Aires. Last 5 years up-date]. / Conjuntivitis neonatal en un hospital del Gran Buenos Aires. Situación de los últimos 5 años.

Neonatal conjunctivitis is one of the most important consultation reasons in the first days of life. Causes may be chemical or infectious. Neonatal conjunctivitis study for common microorganisms and Chlamydia trachomatis is being performed at Posadas Hospital since 1995, in a progressive form. The objective of this study was to know the epidemiological situation in the last five years (1999-2003), and to describe the variations detected between two periods, 1995-1998, and 1999-2003. It was observed no change about C. trachomatis prevalence (8%), during all the time in the population studied. With regard to common microorganisms it was showed a decrease in the second period (36.6%) with respect to the first (52.4%). Likely, the causes may be due to changes about sample collection conditions, or to epidemiological variations. The most frequent microorganisms found were: Staphylococcus aureus 69 (27.6%), Streptococcus pneumoniae 68 (27.2%), and Haemophilus influenzae 64 (25.6%). We consider important to evaluate the kind of ocular secretions at the first consultation, which can lead to a symptomatic treatment that will be corroborated or not, according to microbiological results.

Neonatal hepatic abscess.

Neonatal liver abscess is a rare entity. There are no published reports of neonatal liver abscess in the radiology literature in the past 15 years. We recently encountered a premature infant in whom a hepatic abscess was diagnosed solely based on abnormal radiographic studies. We report this case to illustrate the unusual clinical and radiographic abnormalities seen with neonatal solitary hepatic abscess.

Characteristic features of neonatal sepsis due to Haemophilus influenzae.

The number of cases of neonatal Haemophilus influenzae sepsis reported in the literature has increased. The predominant serotypes (80%) involved in neonates appear to be non-type b whereas in older infants type b is responsible for the great majority of cases. It appears that most cases of neonatal H. influenzae sepsis begin before or at the time of delivery, as the disease is strongly associated with early postnatal onset (83%), prematurity (83%), and a variety of maternal complications (44%). The mortality rate is 55.5% overall but 90% among babies born at less than or equal to 30 weeks of gestation.

[Neonatal Haemophilus influenzae infection. Apropos of 4 cases]. / L'infection néo-natale à Hémophilus influenzae. A propos de 4 observations.

Four cases of neonatal haemophilus influenzae have been reported in Intensive Care Unite of Timone's Hospital (Marseille) during a 2 year period. Three of the cases were due to non typable organism, one was a type III. Hemoculture was positive twice. None of the patients had meningitis. Clinically it was a neonatal septicemia without particularity. Prognosis is bad (50% mortality). Several hypothesis have been proposed to explain the increase of the frequency of this neonatal infection. One of the major problem is the choice and the moment of prescription of antibiotherapy.

Gram's stains of tracheal secretions predict neonatal bacteremia.

The presence of bacteria in tracheal secretions stained by the Gram method was evaluated as a method of predicting neonatal bacteremia. The presence of bacteria had a 74% sensitivity and a 47% predictive accuracy in identifying neonates with bacteremia before 12 hours of age. The specificity in predicting newborns without bacteremia was 98%. In the same neonates, an immature neutrophil-total neutrophil ratio of 0.2 or more had a 77% sensitivity in predicting neonates with bacteremia. Neonates with bacteria in their blood and tracheal aspirates, who died shortly after birth, had pneumonia on postmortem examination. In newborns who have respiratory distress and a risk of infection at birth, Gram's stains of tracheal secretions are a practical and useful method of predicting congenital bacteremia.

[Haemophilus influenza infections in infants and mothers. Three cases (author's transl)]. / Infections foeto-maternelles à haemophilus influenzae. Trois observations.

The three cases reported were diagnosed at the time of contamination by direct examination and culture, at birth, of placental tissue, gastric fluid and peripheral specimens. The culture media included a chocolate agar medium favourable to the growth of H. influenzae. One of the isolates was beta-lactamase producer and therefore resistant to the group A penicillins usually prescribed. Determination of the M.I.C.s of eight antibiotics showed that cefotaxime constitutes, for the time being, a suitable alternative to penicillins against such strains. Early detection of H. influenzae perinatal infections make it possible to treat neonates before complications develop. Among the 19 cases published, there were 4 cases of meningitis, 8 cases of septicaemia and 1 case of arthritis.

Congenital vesicular eruption caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b.

We report a case of perinatal infection that we believe is the first documented report of a congenital vesicular eruption due to Haemophilus influenzae type b and the second report of puerperal sepsis with this organism. A vesicular eruption was noted at birth on an infant delivered at 37 weeks following 34 hours' premature rupture of membranes. Gram-negative rods were seen on Gram stain of vesicular fluid, and H. influenzae type b grew on cultures of vesicular fluid. The mother sustained postpartum septicemia with the same organism. Amnionitis and funistis were demonstrated histologically. Results of all viral studies were negative. Infant and mother did well with antibiotic therapy.

Weak calf syndrome: serum immunoglobulin concentrations in precolostral calves.

Serum immunoglobulin concentrations in precolostral calves affected with weak calf syndrome (WCS), clinically normal calves, and calves which were congenitally infected during the 3rd trimester of gestation with microbial agents isolated from calves with WCS were determined by the quantitative radial immunodiffusion test. Significant difference was not seen in immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G concentrations between serums obtained from precolostral calves affected with WCS and clinically normal calves. However, immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G concentrations for precolostral calves which were congenitally infected were significantly greater (14 and 5 times, respectively) than those in serums from normal calves.

Neonatal Haemophilus influenzae infection. Report of eight cases and review of the literature.

Eight cases of neonatal Haemophilus influenzae infection occurred at Colorado General Hospital during a 3 1/2-year period. Four of the cases were due to nontypable organisms and four to type b organisms. Four were bacteremic, only two of which were type b. None of the patients had meningitis. In all instances, maternal genital tract cultures yielded H infleuzae that, when tested, was of the same serotype as the infant isolate. A survey of cervical cultures among normal and pregnant women yielded H influenzae in less than 1%. There are several possible reasons for the disparity between the apparent high incidence of neonatal infection and low prevalence of maternal carriage.