Sepsis: An Overview of Its Impact and Management

The neonatal sepsis is a blood infection that occurs in a baby less than 90 days old. Is named early sepsis to the one that appears in the first week of life, and late, to the one that occurs between the first week and three months.

Causes

It is caused by bacteria: streptococcus, listeria, E. coli. In early-onset sepsis the risk factors are the following:

• Mother colonized in pregnancy with group B streptococcus
• Premature delivery
• Infection of the placenta and amniotic fluid during pregnancy ()
• Burst rupture for more than 24 hours before delivery

In the late-onset sepsis the risk factors are:

• Have a intravenous route for a long time (in babies admitted to the neonatal ICU)
• Being hospitalized for a long period of time

Symptoms

The main symptoms are Bad general state, refusal to eat and poor temperature regulation (fever or hypothermia). They can also appear: hypoglycemia, vomiting and diarrhea, apnea, jaundice, slow pulse and seizures.

The impact is global. The fall of the blood pressure causes shock. This is the beginning of the damage in the different organs of the body: kidneys, liver, lungs and central nervous system. Usually confusion or delirium and the can be the first signs of sepsis.

Diagnosis

A blood test and a culture of the same to observe signs of infection and the growth of the bacteria that causes the infection to be able to fight it properly. The cerebrospinal fluid, urine, and secretions respiratory

Treatment

If sepsis is suspected, the child should be admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) and start, without delay, therapy with intravenous antibiotics of "broad spectrum", that is, capable of destroying a wide range of bacteria). When the germ is analyzed that has produced sepsis, the most precise treatment is given.

If the child is very sick, he may need help to breathe, oxygen, intravenous fluids, and medications that increase blood pressure. The mortality rate can be up to 60% in immunosuppressed children.

Prevention

A vaginal and rectal culture should be performed on all pregnant women during the last weeks of pregnancy to detect the presence of group B streptococcus. If the mother is positive, intravenous antibiotic treatment should be given to the mother during childbirth to prevent the newborn from becoming infected as it passes through the birth canal. If the mother "breaks water" more than 24 hours before the baby is born, antibiotics should also be given.

When to go to the Pediatrician

Any baby under three months with poor appearance, fever, and refusal to eat You must go to the pediatric emergency room to rule out sepsis.