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Cardiovascular changes in infants with beta-hemolytic streptococcus sepsis.
L A Cabal1, B Siassi, C Cristofani
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Women's Hospital, Los Angeles 90033.
Critical Care Medicine
|July 1, 1990
Summary
This study tracked hemodynamic and biochemical changes in infants with beta-hemolytic streptococcus sepsis. Key differences in blood pressure and acidosis distinguished survivors from nonsurvivors.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neonatology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Sepsis in infants, particularly from beta-hemolytic streptococcus, poses a significant mortality risk.
- Understanding the temporal physiological changes in sepsis is crucial for timely intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define sequential hemodynamic and biochemical changes in infants with beta-hemolytic streptococcus sepsis.
- To compare these patterns between surviving and nonsurviving infants.
Main Methods:
- Studied 24 infants with documented sepsis.
- Collected biophysical and biochemical measurements hourly for 11 hours post-antibiotic initiation.
- Compared data between survivors (n=11) and nonsurvivors (n=13).
Main Results:
- Survivors had higher hematocrit (Hct), systolic, and mean arterial pressures.
- Nonsurvivors exhibited low blood pressure (BP) with elevated central venous pressure (CVP) and severe metabolic acidosis.
- Greater arterial-alveolar oxygen gradients were observed in nonsurvivors.
Conclusions:
- Cardiorespiratory and metabolic alterations can differentiate outcomes in infants with this type of sepsis.
- Early identification of these physiological patterns may improve sepsis management in neonates.