RESEARCH ARTICLE


Comparison Between Pathogen Associated Laboratory and Clinical Parameters in Early-Onset Sepsis of the Newborn



Bernhard Resch1, 2, *, Renoldner B1, Hofer N1
1 Research Unit for Neonatal Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
2 Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria


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Creative Commons License
© Resch et al.; Licensee Bentham Open.

open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 International Public License (CC BY-NC 4.0) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode), which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.

* Address correspondence to this author at the Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics Medical University of Graz Auenbruggerplatz 34/2, 8036 Graz, Austria; Tel: ++43 316 385 81134; Fax: ++43 316 385 12678; E-mail: Bernhard.resch@medunigraz.at


Abstract

Objectives:

To identify laboratory and clinical characteristics of different pathogens associated with early-onset sepsis (EOS) of the newborn.

Methods:

Newborns with EOS were retrospectively analyzed regarding laboratory and clinical parameters associated with the identified pathogen.

Results:

We identified 125 newborns having diagnosis of culture proven EOS between 1993 and 2011. One hundred cases had diagnosis of group B streptococci (GBS) infection (80%), 11 had Escherichia coli (8.8%), eight enterococci (6.4%), and six other pathogens (4.8%). White blood cell count (WBC), immature to total neutrophil (IT) ratio, and C-reactive protein (CRP) values did not differ between groups within the first 72 hours of life. Presence of high (>30000/µL) and low (<9000/µl) WBC was significantly less found compared with IT-ratio >0.2 in GBS and E.coli EOS. High WBC were more common found than low WBC in all groups. Gram positive pathogens were more common found in late preterm and term infants (84%), and gram negative pathogens more common in very low birth weight infants (64%). E. coli was significantly associated with lower gestational age and birth weight, respectively.

Conclusion:

An abnormal IT-ratio was a more common finding than an abnormal WBC in GBS and E. coli EOS. E. coli was significantly associated with prematurity.

Keywords: Early-onset neonatal sepsis, Escherichia coli, Group B Streptococcus, IT-ratio, White blood cell count.