Early neonatal sepsis: prevalence, complications and outcomes in newborns with 35 weeks of gestational age or more

ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze the incidence, complications, and hospital discharge status in newborns with ≥35 weeks of gestational age with early neonatal sepsis. Methods: This is a cross-sectional, retrospective study. Cases of early-onset sepsis registered from January 2016 to December 2019 in neonates with gestational age of 35 weeks or more were reviewed in a level III neonatal unit. The diagnoses were performed based on the criteria by the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa), and the episodes were classified according to microbiological classification and site of infection. The following complications were evaluated: shock, coagulation disorders, and sequelae of the central nervous system. The conditions at hospital discharge were also assessed. The collected data were analyzed with the descriptive analysis. Results: In the period, early neonatal sepsis occurred in 46 newborns, corresponding to 1.8% of all newborns admitted to the neonatal unit, with a prevalence of 4/1,000 live births. Culture confirmed sepsis ocurred in three patients (0.3/1,000 live births), with the following agents: S. pneumoniae, S. epidermidis and S. agalactiae. As to site of infection, there were 35 cases of primary bloodstream infection, seven cases of pneumonia and four cases of meningitis. Most patients (78.3%) had at least one risk factor for sepsis, and all were symptomatic at admission. There were no deaths. Complications occurred in 28.2% of the cases, especially shock (10 cases – 21.7%). Conclusions: The prevalence of proven early neonatal sepsis was low. Despite the common occurrence of complications, there were no deaths.

Admissions to a Low-Resource Neonatal Unit in Malawi Using a Mobile App and Dashboard: A 1-Year Digital Perinatal Outcome Audit

Introduction: Understanding the extent and cause of high neonatal deaths rates in Sub-Saharan Africa is a challenge, especially in the presence of poor-quality and inaccurate data. The NeoTree digital data capture and quality improvement system has been live at Kamuzu Central Hospital, Neonatal Unit, Malawi, since April 2019.Objective: To describe patterns of admissions and outcomes in babies admitted to a Malawian neonatal unit over a 1-year period via a prototype data dashboard.Methods: Data were collected prospectively at the point of care, using the NeoTree app, which includes digital admission and outcome forms containing embedded clinical decision and management support and education in newborn care according to evidence-based guidelines. Data were exported and visualised using Microsoft Power BI. Descriptive and inferential analysis statistics were executed using R.Results: Data collected via NeoTree were 100% for all mandatory fields and, on average, 96% complete across all fields. Coverage of admissions, discharges, and deaths was 97, 99, and 91%, respectively, when compared with the ward logbook. A total of 2,732 neonates were admitted and 2,413 (88.3%) had an electronic outcome recorded: 1,899 (78.7%) were discharged alive, 12 (0.5%) were referred to another hospital, 10 (0.4%) absconded, and 492 (20%) babies died. The overall case fatality rate (CFR) was 204/1,000 admissions. Babies who were premature, low birth weight, out born, or hypothermic on admission, and had significantly higher CFR. Lead causes of death were prematurity with respiratory distress (n = 252, 51%), neonatal sepsis (n = 116, 23%), and neonatal encephalopathy (n = 80, 16%). The most common perceived modifiable factors in death were inadequate monitoring of vital signs and suboptimal management of sepsis. Two hundred and two (8.1%) neonates were HIV exposed, of whom a third [59 (29.2%)] did not receive prophylactic nevirapine, hence vulnerable to vertical infection.Conclusion: A digital data capture and quality improvement system was successfully deployed in a low resource neonatal unit with high (1 in 5) mortality rates providing and visualising reliable, timely, and complete data describing patterns, risk factors, and modifiable causes of newborn mortality. Key targets for quality improvement were identified. Future research will explore the impact of the NeoTree on quality of care and newborn survival.

The Comparison of Three Assessment Scales in a Neonatal Unit in Poland

The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between the following three assessments: the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS), the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS), and the General Movement Assessment (GMA). 29 patients from the neonatal unit of the Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinical Hospital were examined. The study was conducted between feedings by a person properly trained in the use of the NBAS, the AIMS, and the GMA. The average postmenstrual age of the examined newborns was 35.6 weeks. The average week of gestation was the 29th, the average birth weight was 1469 g, and the Median Apgar score in the fifth minute of life was 7. A relationship was found between the AIMS and the NBAS. It was concluded that the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale and the Alberta Infant Motor Scale may be used to determine the motor development of preterm infants. Moreover, it is advisable to use more than one assessment method in order to adjust the intervention.