Search

Introduction: Neonatal sepsis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality with a higher burden from the low- and middle-income countries. The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid 19) pandemic has impacted healthcare in various ways including healthcare-associated infections (HAI). The objective of the present study was to determine changes in organism profile and incidence rates of HAI in neonates admitted to the index hospital during the pandemic and compared it with the data from the pre-pandemic period., Materials and Methods: The study design was a retrospective, observational analysis of data from neonates with culture-positive sepsis, in a tertiary care children's hospital, between January 2018 and December 2021. Pre-Covid (January 2018 to December 2019) and Covid period data (January 2020 to December 2021) were analyzed for the significance of change., Results: The prevalence of culture-positive sepsis, in pre-Covid and Covid periods, was 19.55% [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 17.13-21.52)] and 18.36% (CI 16.05-20.74), respectively. HAI rates/1000 patient days increased slightly during the Covid pandemic [7.2% (95% CI 6.98-10.08) to 9.8% (95% CI 9.78-13.67)] mainly due to an increase in fungal HAI (26% pre- vs. 41.5% Covid period). However, the proportion of Gram-negative (GN) infections fell significantly (70.5% vs. 48.6%) during the same period. In the pre-Covid period, Klebsiella followed by Burkholderia cepacia, Acinetobacter spp and Pseudomonas, were the major HAI isolates. During the Covid period, there was a decline in these isolates and Burkholderia spp was not detected. All fungal isolates were Candida species. The case fatality ratio (CFR) from HAI decreased significantly from 38% to 15.45%, mainly due to a decrease in GN HAI., Conclusion: During Covid pandemic, there was a significant decline in GN HAI and CFR from HAI, due to improved compliance with infection control measures in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). At the same time, there was a rise in the fungal HAI, possibly because of a higher proportion of premature, and sick neonates with longer hospital stay and more invasive procedures. Consolidations of gains in infection control and restriction of invasive procedures could help to minimize HAI in NICUs., (© The Author(s) [2022]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) are known commensals and often contaminate neonatal blood cultures. Their unique ability to form biofilms, however, helps them evade immune mechanisms and antibiotics and cause neonatal sepsis (NS) in hospitalized neonates. True or probable Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus blood stream infection (CoNS BSI) must be differentiated from contaminants so that antibiotics are used judiciously and hospital stay is minimized. Aims and Objectives: The primary objective of the study was to estimate the proportion of NS and contaminants among CoNS-positive blood cultures in the index neonatal unit and the host and health-care variables associated with CoNS BSI. The secondary objective was to estimate the susceptibility of CoNS isolates to antibiotics used. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study from digital records, from January 2018 to December 2022. Results: 25% of CoNS isolates were associated with NS (health-care infections) and 75% were contaminants. Over 90% of CoNS BSI was associated with central lines (CLs) and prolonged hospital stay. All isolates were resistant to oxacillin while resistance to gentamicin rose annually to over 68%. Susceptibility to linezolid and vancomycin was present, but a few strains were resistant to them. Conclusion: CoNS were an important cause of NS in the index hospital. Prolonged hospital stays and CLs were associated with increased incidence of CoNS sepsis and must be minimized where possible. Antibiotic resistance was high, and reserve drugs could also become ineffective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Neonatal sepsis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality with a higher burden from the low- and middle-income countries. The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid 19) pandemic has impacted healthcare in various ways including healthcare-associated infections (HAI). The objective of the present study was to determine changes in organism profile and incidence rates of HAI in neonates admitted to the index hospital during the pandemic and compared it with the data from the pre-pandemic period. Materials and methods The study design was a retrospective, observational analysis of data from neonates with culture-positive sepsis, in a tertiary care children's hospital, between January 2018 and December 2021. Pre-Covid (January 2018 to December 2019) and Covid period data (January 2020 to December 2021) were analyzed for the significance of change. Results The prevalence of culture-positive sepsis, in pre-Covid and Covid periods, was 19.55% [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 17.13–21.52)] and 18.36% (CI 16.05–20.74), respectively. HAI rates/1000 patient days increased slightly during the Covid pandemic [7.2% (95% CI 6.98–10.08) to 9.8% (95% CI 9.78–13.67)] mainly due to an increase in fungal HAI (26% pre- vs. 41.5% Covid period). However, the proportion of Gram-negative (GN) infections fell significantly (70.5% vs. 48.6%) during the same period. In the pre-Covid period, Klebsiella followed by Burkholderia cepacia , Acinetobacter spp and Pseudomonas , were the major HAI isolates. During the Covid period, there was a decline in these isolates and Burkholderia spp was not detected. All fungal isolates were Candida species. The case fatality ratio (CFR) from HAI decreased significantly from 38% to 15.45%, mainly due to a decrease in GN HAI. Conclusion During Covid pandemic, there was a significant decline in GN HAI and CFR from HAI, due to improved compliance with infection control measures in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). At the same time, there was a rise in the fungal HAI, possibly because of a higher proportion of premature, and sick neonates with longer hospital stay and more invasive procedures. Consolidations of gains in infection control and restriction of invasive procedures could help to minimize HAI in NICUs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]