Biomaterial Database

A prospective study of nosocomial infection in a neonatal intensive care unit. 1995

V Khadilkar, and D Tudehope, and S Fraser

Department of Neonatology, Mater Mothers' Hospital, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

OBJECTIVE To determine the incidence of and organisms responsible for neonatal nosocomial infection (after 72 h of age). METHODS A 1-year evaluation of 321 consecutive septic work-ups performed on 130 of 1008 babies admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for more than 72 h. Fifty-seven (89%) of 64 infants of birthweight 500-999 g, 36 (34%) of 105 infants 100-1499 g, 27 (6%) of 422 infants 1500-2499 g and 10 (28%) of 477 infants of birthweight > 2500 g had at least one septic work-up. RESULTS In addition to blood culture, the evaluations included haematological score on full blood count in 94.7%, abdominal X-ray in 48%, endotracheal tube tip culture in 32.7% and lumbar puncture in only 13.1%. Blood culture was positive on 92 occasions in 75 infants (28.7% of work-ups and 7.4% of all babies admitted). Infection status was classified as definite on 40 occasions in 30 babies, and due to contamination 52 in 45 babies. Twenty of the 30 babies with definite infection were of birthweight 500-999 g. Of the 40 definite infections coagulase-negative staphylococci (CONS) were cultured from 23 babies, Gram negative bacilli in 14 and Candida spp. in three babies. Sepsis caused or contributed to the deaths of six babies. CONCLUSIONS This study identifies infants of birthweight < 1000 g as the highest risk group for nosocomial infection especially CONS. New strategies in prevention, surveillance and treatment are required for extremely low birthweight infants.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007231	Infant, Newborn	An infant during the first 28 days after birth.	Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D007234	Infant, Premature	A human infant born before 37 weeks of GESTATION.	Neonatal Prematurity,Premature Infants,Preterm Infants,Infant, Preterm,Infants, Premature,Infants, Preterm,Premature Infant,Prematurity, Neonatal,Preterm Infant
D011446	Prospective Studies	Observation of a population for a sufficient number of persons over a sufficient number of years to generate incidence or mortality rates subsequent to the selection of the study group.	Prospective Study,Studies, Prospective,Study, Prospective
D011793	Queensland	A state in northeastern Australia. Its capital is Brisbane. Its coast was first visited by Captain Cook in 1770 and its first settlement (penal) was located on Moreton Bay in 1824. The name Cooksland was first proposed but honor to Queen Victoria prevailed. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p996 & Room, Brewer's Dictionary of Names, 1992, p441)
D003428	Cross Infection	Any infection which a patient contracts in a health-care institution.	Hospital Infections,Nosocomial Infections,Health Care Associated Infection,Health Care Associated Infections,Healthcare Associated Infections,Infection, Cross,Infections, Hospital,Infections, Nosocomial,Cross Infections,Healthcare Associated Infection,Hospital Infection,Infection, Healthcare Associated,Infection, Hospital,Infection, Nosocomial,Infections, Cross,Infections, Healthcare Associated,Nosocomial Infection
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012307	Risk Factors	An aspect of personal behavior or lifestyle, environmental exposure, inborn or inherited characteristic, which, based on epidemiological evidence, is known to be associated with a health-related condition considered important to prevent.	Health Correlates,Risk Factor Scores,Risk Scores,Social Risk Factors,Population at Risk,Populations at Risk,Correlates, Health,Factor, Risk,Factor, Social Risk,Factors, Social Risk,Risk Factor,Risk Factor Score,Risk Factor, Social,Risk Factors, Social,Risk Score,Score, Risk,Score, Risk Factor,Social Risk Factor
D012372	ROC Curve	A graphic means for assessing the ability of a screening test to discriminate between healthy and diseased persons; may also be used in other studies, e.g., distinguishing stimuli responses as to a faint stimuli or nonstimuli.	ROC Analysis,Receiver Operating Characteristic,Analysis, ROC,Analyses, ROC,Characteristic, Receiver Operating,Characteristics, Receiver Operating,Curve, ROC,Curves, ROC,ROC Analyses,ROC Curves,Receiver Operating Characteristics
D013203	Staphylococcal Infections	Infections with bacteria of the genus STAPHYLOCOCCUS.	Infections, Staphylococcal,Staphylococcus aureus Infection,Staphylococcal Infection,Staphylococcus aureus Infections
D013212	Staphylococcus epidermidis	A species of STAPHYLOCOCCUS that is a spherical, non-motile, gram-positive, chemoorganotrophic, facultative anaerobe. Mainly found on the skin and mucous membrane of warm-blooded animals, it can be primary pathogen or secondary invader.