Mg. Karlowicz et al., Fulminant late-onset sepsis in a neonatal intensive care unit, 1988-1997, and the impact of avoiding empiric vancomycin therapy, PEDIATRICS, 106(6), 2000, pp. 1387-1390
Objective. To determine the pathogens associated with fulminant (lethal wit
hin 48 hours) late-onset sepsis (occurring after 3 days of age) in a neonat
al intensive care unit (NICU) and the frequency of fulminant late-onset sep
sis for the most common pathogens.
Methods. A retrospective study was conducted of sepsis in infants in a NICU
over a 10-year period (1988 - 1997).
Results. There were 825 episodes of late-onset sepsis occurring in 536 infa
nts. Thirty-four of 49 (69%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 55%-82%) cases o
f fulminant late-onset sepsis were caused by Gram-negative organisms, inclu
ding Pseudomonas sp., 20 (42%); Escherichia coli, 5 (10%); Enterobacter sp.
, 4 (8%); and Klebsiella sp., 4 (8%). The frequency of fulminant sepsis was
highest for Pseudomonas sp., 20 of 36 (56%; 95% CI: 38%-72%) and lowest fo
r coagulase-negative staphylococci, 4 of 277 (1%; 95% CI: 0%-4%). The very
low frequency of fulminant sepsis caused by coagulase-negative staphylococc
i did not increase during the period when oxacillin was used instead of van
comycin as the empiric antibiotic for Gram-positive organisms.
Conclusions. These data suggest that empiric antibiotics selected for treat
ment of suspected sepsis in infants >3 days old need to effectively treat G
ram-negative pathogens, particularly Pseudomonas sp., because these organis
ms, although less frequent, are strongly associated with fulminant late-ons
et sepsis in the NICU. Avoiding empiric vancomycin therapy seemed to be a r
easonable approach to late-onset sepsis, because of the very low frequency
of fulminant sepsis caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci.