Neonatal Sepsis: Current Insights and Challenges
Author: Rozeta Sokou
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Published: 2024-06-05
Total Pages: 93
ISBN-13: 2832549950
DOWNLOAD EBOOKDespite the continuous progress in perinatal and neonatal care, sepsis is still a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates accounting for approximately 15% of deaths during the neonatal period globally. Additionally, despite being a life-threatening situation, sepsis in the neonatal population, and especially in very preterm neonates, is a potential source for short- and long-term morbidity and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Initial clinical signs and symptoms of sepsis are subtle and often non-specific in neonates, representing substantial impediments to the institutionalization of an international definition for sepsis in this population. Early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis is crucial and remains a major challenge for neonatologists due to nonspecific symptoms and laboratory tests with limited diagnostic value, resulting in the empirical and non-prudent antibiotics use, a common practice in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). Nevertheless, this practice is largely responsible for a high rate of antibiotic resistance in NICUs, a major issue for global healthcare systems, as it has been estimated that 31% of neonatal deaths related to sepsis can be attributed to antimicrobial resistance.