title: Group B streptococcus infection in infancy: 21-year experience.
abstract: In this hospital-based review, clinical presentations associated with Group B streptococcus (GBS) infections in children occurring between January 1980 and March 2000 were analyzed. Among the 25 infants with invasive group B streptococcal infections, 9 (36%) were early onset diseases (EOD), 12 (48%) were late onset diseases (LOD), and 4 (16%) occurred beyond the third month of life. Eight of the nine (89%) EOD cases manifested during the first day of life and three (33%) were premature births. Common presentations in GBS infection were fever (75%), poor activity (25%), respiratory distress (25%), lethargy (20%), and irritability (20%). Seizure occurred in 31% of infants with meningitis. Pneumonia (66%) and case-fatality rate (33.3%) were significantly higher in EOD than in LOD. Meningitis was the major manifestation (77%) of LOD and had severe sequelae in 40% of cases. Eight strains were assayed for antibiotic sensitivity and they were all susceptible to penicillin, ampicillin, cefotaxime, and vancomycin. The susceptibilities to erythromycin and clindamycin were 62% and 75%, respectively. Most of the strains from blood or cerebrospinal fluid were type III.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, No. 7, Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei 100, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chiang-Hua
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Li-Min
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chun-Yi
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Chin-Yun
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Po-Ren
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Hsueh
authors.forename: Po-Nien
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Tsao
authors.forename: Wu-Shiun
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Kuo-Inn
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Tsou
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000187:drug effects