›› 2014, Vol. 32 ›› Issue (4): 330-335.

• Original Article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Relationship of antenatal antibiotic exposure with early-onset or late-onset sepsis in preterm infants

 ZHU Meiying    

  1. (Department of Neonatology, Medical Centre for Maternal Child Health Municipal Hospital, Suzhou 215002, Jiangsu, China)
  • Received:2013-09-08 Published:2014-04-15 Online:2014-04-15

Abstract:  Objective To investigate the incidence and pathogen distribution of early-onset sepsis (EOS) and later-onset sepsis (LOS) in preterm infants exposed to antenatal antibiotics. Methods The singleton preterm infants with gestational age ≤ 33 weeks who were admitted to our hospital within 24 hours after birth and had stayed for more than 24 hours were selected from Jan. 2010 to Dec. 2012. According to the exposure time of antenatal antibiotics, infants were divided into antibiotics group (≥4 hours) and control group (<4 hours). The proportion of EOS and LOS and pathogen distribution were compared between two groups. Results A total of 629 preterm infants, 232 in antibiotics group and 397 in control group, were selected. Compared with control group, the birth weight, percentages of clinical chorioamnionitis, prenatal hormone exposure > 24 h and EOS were significantly higher while percentages of asphyxia and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) were significantly lower in antibio-tics group (P<0.05). There was no difference in the occurrence of LOS between two groups (P>0.05). In 29 cases of EOS, 5 cases (17.2%) were complicated by suppurative meningitis. There were 16 cases of EOS in antibiotics group. Positive blood culture was found in 11 cases (68.8%) including 6 Gram-positive (G+) and 5 Gram-negative (G-) bacteria. There were 13 cases of EOS in control group. Positive blood culture was found in 5 cases (38.5%) including 4 Gram-negative (G-) and 1 Gram-positive (G+) bacteria. Non-resistant bacteria were dominant in two groups and there was no difference in positive rate of blood culture and proportion of G+ bacteria between two groups (P>0.05). In 75 cases of LOS, 5 cases (6.7%) were complicated by suppurative meningitis. There was no difference in incidence of meningitis between EOS and LOS cases (P>0.05). There were 29 cases of LOS in antibiotics group. Positive blood culture was found in 17 cases (58.6%) including 6 Gram-positive (G+) and 9 Gram-negative (G-) bacteria and 2 fungi. There were 46 cases of LOS in control group. Positive blood culture was found in 23 cases (50.0%) including 14 Gram-positive (G+) and 8 Gram-negative (G-) bacteria and 1 fungus. Drug-resistant bacteria were dominant in two groups and there was no difference in positive rate of blood culture and proportion of G+ bacteria between two groups (P>0.05). Conclusions Antenatal antibiotics exposure was not effective to either reduce the occurrence of EOS and LOS or change the distribution of pathogens in EOS and LOS in preterm infants.