Abstract
Introduction: Neonatal sepsis is currently one of the most serious and feared problems affecting infants ≤ 28 days of life due to its severity, morbidity and mortality among term and preterm newborns. Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is globally the main etiologic agent of Early Onset Sepsis (EOS) in neonates; Escherichia coli (E. coli) is actually estimated as the second cause of EOS in term infants and the main in preterms. E. coli is also associated with severe invasive infections and meningitis, and it is estimated as the main cause of sepsis related mortality in very low birth weight newborns. Moreover, newborns with E. coli sepsis have an higher risk to develop adverse outcomes, for example neurologic disabilities.
Methods: In a 4 years prospective observational study, all term newborns affected by sepsis with positive blood culture have been enrolled. Data on pre-delivery risk factors, birth, clinical presentation, blood culture, blood test, neonatal treatment, follow-up and outcome have been collected.
Results: E. coli resulted the main bacteria found as cause of EOS in our neonatal unit, affecting only term newborns. The calculated incidence of positive blood culture to E. coli in the first three days of life in term newborns was 0.69/1000 live births. An immediate recognition of septic signs and symptoms, diagnosis and prompt antibiotic treatment were essential for a positive outcome.
Citation
Porta A and Parola L. Escherichia Coli Early Onset Sepsis in Term Newborns: What’s New. SM Journal of Infect Dis. 2017; 2(1): 1006.