Early‐onset group B Streptococcus prevention protocols in New Zealand public hospitals

Abstract
Objective: Determine group B streptococcus (GBS) prevention protocols.Methods: Questionnaire survey of 19 hospitals accounting for 73% of New Zealand births.Results: Prevention policies were reported by 16 (84%) hospitals (bacteriological‐screening n = 4, risk‐factor determination n = 8, both strategies n = 4). Only five out of 12 (42%) centres using risk‐assessment administered antibiotics for all high‐risk criteria. Inadequate specimen collection and culture methods meant no hospital maximised culture‐based strategies. Nevertheless, hospitals with prevention policies had lower early‐onset GBS disease rates (0.46 versus 1.44 per 1,000 births; OR 0.32; (95% CI 0.12, 0.98)).Conclusions: Prevention strategies can be further improved by hospitals fully implementing nationally agreed guidelines.
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