title: Early onset Haemophilus influenzae sepsis in the newborn infant.
abstract: Neonatal sepsis caused by Haemophilus influenzae is characterized by an early onset syndrome associated with pneumonia, shock and neutropenia. Over a 30-month period 13 infants referred to this hospital had early onset H. influenzae sepsis. Obstetric complications included preterm labor (92%), prolonged rupture of membranes > 12 hours (63%), maternal fever (64%), chorioamnionitis (43%), vaginal discharge (44%) and premature rupture of membranes (15%). All 13 infants were symptomatic at delivery and 7 required immediate intubation. Pneumonia and respiratory distress were the prominent clinical findings. H. influenzae was isolated from infant blood, maternal blood, placenta and genital tract. Isolates were predominantly non-type b, beta-lactamase-negative. A study to determine the prevalence of H. influenzae colonization of the genital tract among women attending clinic at the hospital with the most cases showed a rate of 0.3%. Perinatal risk factors and clinical findings in the infants are similar to disease caused by other organisms associated with early onset sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Hospital, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kinney
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Papasian
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Kurth
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Jackson
mesh_terms: D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006192:Haemophilus Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010920:Placenta / Q000382:microbiology; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology