Clinical and laboratory impact of coagulase-negative staphylococci bacteremia in preterm infants.
A retrospective evaluation of the clinical and laboratory impact of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CONS) bacteremia in preterm infants was carried out. The study population included all preterm infants (n = 31) in whom two or more blood cultures were positive for CONS within a period of 4 d, with negative blood cultures 1 wk before and 1 wk after the CONS bacteremia. Clinical manifestations and the results of laboratory tests 7 d before and after the positive blood cultures, and on the first day of sepsis, were recorded and compared. During CONS bacteremia, the infants demonstrated apnoea and bradycardia (88%) and a need for oxygen (59%) and ventilatory support (69%). Significant laboratory findings were leukopenia below 5,000 cells/mm3 (12%), leukocytosis above 30,000 cells/mm3 (39%), and thrombocytopenia below 150,000/mm3 (25%). These clinical and laboratory manifestations differed significantly during the bacteremia infection compared with the week before and after.


CONCLUSIONS
CONS bacteremia is a clinically significant infection in preterm infants, causing episodes of apnoea and bradycardia, and a need for ventilatory support.
Department of Neonatology, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tiqva.
A
A
Maayan-Metzger
N
N
Linder
D
D
Marom
T
T
Vishne
S
S
Ashkenazi
L
L
Sirota
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D003030:Coagulase; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000209:etiology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D003030:Coagulase