Pathogens responsible for early-onset sepsis in Suzhou, China

Abstract

Early onset sepsis (EOS) in neonates is a serious disease with severe complications. The increased severity of EOS and risk of death for newborns in recent years means that continued monitoring to detect possible changes in pathogen etiology, disease severity and disease outcome is particularly important. We performed a retrospective study on early-onset infection among infants (birth weights>800 g) who were hospitalized in the Children’s Hospital of Soochow University from Jan1, 2011 to Dec 31, 2017. Multivariable analysis was conducted to determine the significant predictors of mortality. The most frequent early-onset pathogen was group B streptococcus (GBS) (28.1%), followed by E. coli (21.6%), Listeria monocytogenes (11.8%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (7.8%). Most infants (85.6%) with early-onset infections survived to hospital discharge, while 44 (14.4%) patients died. Multivariable logistic regression showed that significant predictors of mortality were pathogen (GBS, E coli, or other) and birth weight (both P< .01). GBS remains the most frequent pathogen in infants. E coli was the most common pathogen associated with neonatal mortality. Prevention of E coli sepsis, especially among preterm infants, remains a challenge.