Current Evidence on Prevention and Management of Early Onset Neonatal Sepsis

Abstract

Early onset neonatal sepsis (EONS) continues to be a challenge in modern neonatal care and is fraught with many diagnostic and management conundrums. In a large single centre report the incidence of sepsis in intramural babies was 0.7% and the reported mortality due to sepsis/meningitis was 4.1% [1]. Institutional protocols vary in the various aspects of antenatal and postnatal care. Identifying neonates at risk for EONS by maternal risk factor assessment or maternal screening, intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis and other maternal interventions for reducing the incidence, ideal haematological parameters, acute phase reactants and sepsis screen for at risk neonates, improving the blood culture yield, lumbar puncture for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination, selection of antibiotic, duration of therapy and role of intravenous immunoglobulin are some of the questions which plague the clinician.