In:
Journal of Medical Microbiology, Microbiology Society, Vol. 60, No. 4 ( 2011-04-01), p. 446-453
Abstract:
The aim of this study was to determine the time to positivity (TTP) of neonatal blood cultures, to investigate differences between early onset versus late-onset sepsis, and non-proven versus proven sepsis, and to examine differences in TTP by organism type using a retrospective observational study at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Antwerp University Hospital, Belgium. The subjects were 1828 neonates with suspected sepsis who were treated with antimicrobials for at least 3 days. The TTP was recorded for all episodes of suspected sepsis in an approximately 6.5 year period. A total of 2916 blood cultures were collected, of which 437 (15 %) became positive. The overall TTP was 21.33 h (Q 1 –Q 3 13.17–32.46). The difference between the median TTP in early onset versus late-onset sepsis was 0.83 h (22.00 versus 21.17 h, P =0.75). The median TTP for Gram-negative organisms was 11.17 h (Q 1 –Q 3 8.84–15.67), whereas the median TTP for Gram-positive organisms was 23.59 h (Q 1 –Q 3 15.29–34.58, P 〈 0.001). In Gram-positive isolates, the median TTP for coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) was 26.67 h (Q 1 –Q 3 19.00–38.17), whereas the median TTP for non-CNS was 12.83 h (Q 1 –Q 3 10.50–18.17, P 〈 0.001). The median TTP in proven sepsis was 20.17 h (Q 1 –Q 3 13.00–30.37), whereas it was 29.67 h (Q 1 –Q 3 21.17–50.63, P 〈 0.001) in non-proven sepsis. TTP of neonatal blood cultures was significantly shorter for Gram-negative organisms. We suggest shortening the total incubation time of neonatal blood cultures to a maximum of 3 days. However, blood cultures collected in infants 〈 72 h of age might require a longer incubation time. According to our results, it may be safe to narrow the antimicrobial spectrum to solely target Gram-positive bacteria when the culture is still negative after 48 h, and to cease antimicrobial therapy when the culture is still negative after 72 h in clinically well infants.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0022-2615
,
1473-5644
DOI:
10.1099/jmm.0.020651-0
Language:
English
Publisher:
Microbiology Society
Publication Date:
2011
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2083944-3
SSG:
12
