Abstract
BackgroundOveruse of empirical intravenous antibiotics in neonates in high-income countries (HICs) is well documented. The Kaiser Permanente neonatal early-onset sepsis (EOS) calculator is an evidence-based sepsis risk assessment tool that has demonstrated potential to reduce antibiotic usage in this population. The incidence of early-onset sepsis in most HICs is 0.4–0.8 per 1000 live births. The objective was to evaluate the calculator's impact on antibiotic rates and length of stay in a regional level II Special Care Nursery. MethodsA single-centre retrospective cohort study compared antibiotic administration rates in the first 72 h in neonates ≥35 weeks gestation born during two 6-month periods in 2019 (pre-EOS calculator) and 2021 (post-EOS calculator). Electronic and paper case records were accessed to capture data. Continuous data were summarised using mean and standard deviation, and categorical data were summarized using frequency distributions. There were 951 (2019) and 1129 (2021) infants born during the study periods. ResultsFollowing implementation of the calculator, antibiotic exposure decreased from 13.7% to 4.7% of all neonates without reported negative outcomes. Mean length of stay for neonates born across the two periods decreased from 2.38 to 2.13 days. Indications for antibiotic use shifted more towards clinical condition and away from obstetric risk factors. There were no culture-proven cases of sepsis or readmissions with EOS in either period. ConclusionImplementation of the EOS calculator significantly reduced exposure to antibiotics, without adverse outcomes.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.