Publication
Title
Time to positivity of neonatal blood cultures : fast and furious?
Author
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the time to positivity (TTP) of neonatal blood cultures, to investigate differences between early onset versus late-onset sepsis, and non-proven versus proven sepsis, and to examine differences in TTP by organism type using a retrospective observational study at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Antwerp University Hospital, Belgium. The subjects were 1828 neonates with suspected sepsis who were treated with antimicrobials for at least 3 days. The TTP was recorded for all episodes of suspected sepsis in an approximately 6.5 year period. A total of 2916 blood cultures were collected, of which 437 (15 %) became positive. The overall TTP was 21.33 h (Q1Q3 13.1732.46). The difference between the median TTP in early onset versus late-onset sepsis was 0.83 h (22.00 versus 21.17 h, P=0.75). The median TTP for Gram-negative organisms was 11.17 h (Q1Q3 8.8415.67), whereas the median TTP for Gram-positive organisms was 23.59 h (Q1Q3 15.2934.58, P<0.001). In Gram-positive isolates, the median TTP for coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) was 26.67 h (Q1Q3 19.0038.17), whereas the median TTP for non-CNS was 12.83 h (Q1Q3 10.5018.17, P<0.001). The median TTP in proven sepsis was 20.17 h (Q1Q3 13.0030.37), whereas it was 29.67 h (Q1Q3 21.1750.63, P<0.001) in non-proven sepsis. TTP of neonatal blood cultures was significantly shorter for Gram-negative organisms. We suggest shortening the total incubation time of neonatal blood cultures to a maximum of 3 days. However, blood cultures collected in infants <72 h of age might require a longer incubation time. According to our results, it may be safe to narrow the antimicrobial spectrum to solely target Gram-positive bacteria when the culture is still negative after 48 h, and to cease antimicrobial therapy when the culture is still negative after 72 h in clinically well infants.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Journal of medical microbiology. - Edinburgh, 1968, currens
Publication
Edinburgh : 2011
ISSN
0022-2615
DOI
10.1099/JMM.0.020651-0
Volume/pages
60 :4 (2011) , p. 446-453
ISI
000289589300006
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 25.05.2011
Last edited 15.11.2022
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