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| LETTER TO EDITOR |
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| Year : 2013 | Volume
: 2
| Issue : 2 | Page : 110-111 |
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Neonatal early onset sepsis due to anaerobies: Myth or realities: A review of medical record in one neonatal centre
Herve B Chatue Kamga
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Hospital Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, France
| Date of Web Publication | 13-Aug-2013 |
Correspondence Address:
Herve B Chatue Kamga
40 Allée de la, Source 94195, Villeneuve-Saint-Georges
France
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/2249-4847.116416
How to cite this article:
Chatue Kamga HB. Neonatal early onset sepsis due to anaerobies: Myth or realities: A review of medical record in one neonatal centre. J Clin Neonatol 2013;2:110-1 |
How to cite this URL:
Chatue Kamga HB. Neonatal early onset sepsis due to anaerobies: Myth or realities: A review of medical record in one neonatal centre. J Clin Neonatol [serial online] 2013 [cited 2022 Jan 26];2:110-1. Available from: https://www.jcnonweb.com/text.asp?2013/2/2/110/116416 |
Sir,
To know the impact of anaerobes on early onset sepsis (EOS) in neonates in a neonatal unit (Hospital Port Royal), where we recorded bacteriological results of blood cultures, gastric fluid samples, meconium samples or throat samples cultures from January 2008 to May 2011.
Perinatal risk factors of infection were searched : m0 aternal pyrexia; vaginal swabs culture, premature rupture of membranes more than 18 h.
EOS was defined as infection which occurs within the first 72 h of life.
Infection was considered as: (i) proven in the presence of a positive blood culture and clinical signs suggestive of infection (ii) probable infection in the presence of clinical signs of infection and at least two abnormal laboratory results in the absence of positive blood culture (iii) possible in the presence of clinical signs suggestive of infection and a rise in C-reactive protein when the blood culture is negative. [1]
Each neonate with positive culture of blood, gastric fluid, and meconium or throat samples taken after the delivery was included.
Among 950 cultures recorded, 15 (1.62%) had positive culture with anaerobic bacteria [Table 1]. | Table 1: Population characteristics of neonates gastric aspirate positive for anaerobies
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The mean gestation age of newborns was 32.7 weeks post-conception; the mean weight was 1792 g (±719 g).
According to the definition of EOS : o0 nly two newborns had probable EOS, one with positive culture to Bacteroides fragilis and second was Fusobacterium species. No proven infection was identified.
Culture of anaerobes bacteria requires some specificity for sampling, transportation, and culture of the specimen. Slowness of growth of these organisms; nature's polymicrobial and growing resistance anaerobic bacteria may lead to inadequate treatment then clinical failure.
Metronidazole is effective against all anaerobes and its use in children and adults is not associated with any serious side-effects. [2],[3] All of our culture positive to anaerobes are sensitive's to metronidazole and resistant to Amoxicillin.
In conclusion, EOS due to anaerobes is rare and only a few publications were found in the literature. In our retrospective study, no proven EOS infection was observed. All cases were sensitive to metronidazole.
| Acknowledgments | |  |
We would like to thank Neonatology Hospital Port Royal for their support.
| References | | |
| 1. | Upadhyaya P, Bhatnagar V, Basu N. Pharmacokinetics of intravenous metronidazole in neonates. J Pediatr Surg 1988;23:263-5. 
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| 2. | Brook I. Bacteremia due to anaerobic bacteria in newborns. J Perinatol 1990;10:351-6.
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| 3. | Haque KN. Definitions of bloodstream infection in the newborn. Pediatr Crit Care Med 2005;6(Suppl):S45-9.
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[Table 1]
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