Septicaemia with Coagulase Negative Staphylococci in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Risk Factors for Infection, and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of the Bacterial Strains

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Abstract
Eshali, H., Ringertz, S., Nyström, S. and Faxelius, G. (The Department of Paediatrics, Karolinska Hospital and St. Göran's Children's Hospital and the Department of Clinical Microbiology, Karolinska Hospital, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden). Septicaemia with coagulase negative staphylococci in a neonatal intensive care unit. Risk factors for infection, and antimicrobial susceptibility of the bacterial strains. Acta Paediatr Scand Suppl 360: 127, 1989. Septicaemia caused by coagulase negative staphylococci is a problem in the neonatal intensive care units (NICU). The very low birthweight (VLBW) infants are at a special high risk because of their immature host defense. In this study the potential risk factors were compared between the VLBW septicaemia patients and the VLBW infants who had not contracted septicaemia in the NICU. The factor most clearly related with septicaemia was the use of umbilical artery catheters. The strategy against neonatal septicaemia includes restriction of the use of intravascular catheters. Also enhancement of the host defense by immunoglobulin therapy is considered. The coagulase negative staphylococci were multiresistant to antibiotics. The combination of netilmicin and benzylpenicillin covered the bacteria found in septicaemia cases in the NICU, and is now the standard treatment in suspected cases. Coagulase negative staphylococci are treated with vancomycin or netilmicin.