Anlaug Vatne1,2, Claus Klingenberg3,4, Knut Øymar1,2, Arild E Rønnestad5,6, Paolo Manzoni7, Siren Rettedal1. 1. From the Department of Pediatrics, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway. 2. Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. 3. Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway. 4. Paediatric Research Group, Department of Clinical Medicine, UiT, The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway. 5. Neonatal Department, Division of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. 6. Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. 7. Neonatology and NICU, S. Anna Hospital, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza, Torino, Italy.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Suspected early-onset sepsis (EOS) results in antibiotic treatment of a substantial number of neonates who are uninfected. We evaluated if an approach using serial physical examinations (SPEs) can reduce antibiotic exposure for suspected EOS in term neonates during the first 3 days of life, without affecting safety. METHODS: Within a quality-improvement framework, SPEs for 24-48 hours for neonates with suspected EOS was implemented in the neonatal intensive care unit, Stavanger, Norway. The proportion of neonates ≥37 weeks gestation exposed to antibiotics, antibiotic therapy-days and the safety outcome time from birth to start antibiotics were compared between a baseline period (April 2014-February 2016), when a risk factor based approach was used, and a post-SPE-implementation period (January 2017-November 2018). RESULTS: We included all term live born neonates (n = 17,242) in the 2 periods. There was a 57% relative reduction in neonates exposed to antibiotics; 2.9% in the baseline and 1.3% in the post-implementation period, P < 0.001. There was a 60% relative reduction in mean antibiotic therapy-days/1000 patient-days; from 320 to 129, P < 0.001, and a 50% relative reduction in time to initiate antibiotics in suspected EOS-cases, from median (interquartile range) 14 (5-28) to 7 (3-17) hours, P = 0.003. The incidence of culture-positive EOS remained unchanged. There were no infection-attributable deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing SPE to guide empiric antibiotic therapy in term neonates with suspected EOS more than halved the burden of antibiotic exposure, without delay of antibiotic treatment of infected neonates or increased sepsis-related mortality.
BACKGROUND: Suspected early-onset sepsis (EOS) results in antibiotic treatment of a substantial number of neonates who are uninfected. We evaluated if an approach using serial physical examinations (SPEs) can reduce antibiotic exposure for suspected EOS in term neonates during the first 3 days of life, without affecting safety. METHODS: Within a quality-improvement framework, SPEs for 24-48 hours for neonates with suspected EOS was implemented in the neonatal intensive care unit, Stavanger, Norway. The proportion of neonates ≥37 weeks gestation exposed to antibiotics, antibiotic therapy-days and the safety outcome time from birth to start antibiotics were compared between a baseline period (April 2014-February 2016), when a risk factor based approach was used, and a post-SPE-implementation period (January 2017-November 2018). RESULTS: We included all term live born neonates (n = 17,242) in the 2 periods. There was a 57% relative reduction in neonates exposed to antibiotics; 2.9% in the baseline and 1.3% in the post-implementation period, P < 0.001. There was a 60% relative reduction in mean antibiotic therapy-days/1000 patient-days; from 320 to 129, P < 0.001, and a 50% relative reduction in time to initiate antibiotics in suspected EOS-cases, from median (interquartile range) 14 (5-28) to 7 (3-17) hours, P = 0.003. The incidence of culture-positive EOS remained unchanged. There were no infection-attributable deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing SPE to guide empiric antibiotic therapy in term neonates with suspected EOS more than halved the burden of antibiotic exposure, without delay of antibiotic treatment of infected neonates or increased sepsis-related mortality.
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