title: Management of early-onset neonatal sepsis differs in the north and south of Scandinavia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study compared the management and outcomes of early-onset neonatal sepsis (EONS) in two tertiary neonatal units in Denmark and Norway.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively studied all infants diagnosed with EONS between April 2010 and March 2013 and managed at Odense University Hospital, Denmark, and the University Hospital of North Norway, Norway. Clinical and laboratory data were collected from patient records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 137 EONS cases in Denmark and 101 in Norway. There were 35 culture-confirmed EONS cases: 16% of the Danish cases and 13% of the Norwegian cases. Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequently detected pathogen in 11 cases (31%), followed by Group B streptococci in nine (26%) and Escherichia coli in six (17%). In 85% of the 238 cases, the empiric therapy comprised gentamicin and a beta-lactam, namely ampicillin in Denmark and benzylpenicillin in Norway. Patients with positive blood cultures had higher C-reactive protein levels than patients with negative blood cultures and higher sepsis-attributable mortality. Lumbar punctures were performed more frequently in Denmark.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There were marginal differences in the management of EONS between units in Denmark and Norway, mainly in their choice of antibiotics and the use of lumbar punctures. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common pathogen.
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway.|Nordland Hospital, Vesterålen, Norway.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Drageset
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Jon Widding
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Fjalstad
authors.affiliation: Hans Christian Andersen Childrens Hospital, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mortensen
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway.|Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Klingenberg
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D000071074:Neonatal Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: 
  Staphylococcus aureus
  ; Antibiotics; C-reactive protein; Early-onset neonatal sepsis; Lumbar puncture