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Dexamethasone and infection in preterm babies: a controlled study.
P C Ng1, M A Thomson, P R Dear
1Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, St James's University Hospital, Leeds.
Archives of Disease in Childhood
|January 1, 1990
Summary
Dexamethasone treatment did not alter infection rates in preterm infants requiring prolonged neonatal intensive care. This study found no significant differences in bacterial infections or sepsis between treated and untreated infants.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Premature infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are susceptible to infections.
- Steroids like dexamethasone are sometimes used in neonates, but their impact on infection risk requires careful evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether a course of dexamethasone affects the incidence of infections in preterm infants requiring extended NICU stays (≥9 weeks).
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 24 preterm infants receiving a three-week dexamethasone course and 18 untreated preterm infants.
- Both groups were monitored for the incidence and patterns of septicaemia and other bacteriologically proven infections.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were observed in the incidence or pattern of septicaemia or other bacteriologically proven infections between the dexamethasone-treated and control groups.
- Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the predominant cause of septicaemia, accounting for 77% (44 of 57 episodes).
Conclusions:
- A three-week course of dexamethasone does not appear to increase the risk of bacterial infections or septicaemia in preterm infants requiring prolonged NICU care.
- Further research may be warranted to explore specific infection types or causative agents.