Managing neonatal severe sepsis in Germany: a preliminary survey of current practices

In 2002 and 2007, the American College of Critical Care Medicine (ACCCM) provided clinical guidelines for hemodynamic support of pediatric and neonatal patients in septic shock. In 2008 and 2013, the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) Guidelines Committee offered up-to-date clinical guidelines for the management of severe sepsis and septic shock in adults and in pediatric patients. The aim of this study was to assess the standard of care of neonates with severe sepsis and septic shock in German neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) with regard to variability in management and guideline conformity.

199 pediatric clinics in Germany were asked to describe their management of septic neonates in a telephone survey. The questionnaire that was used for the preliminary survey was designed based on the ACCCM and SSC clinical guidelines.

A total of 90 (45%) surveys were completed and analyzed. Among all hospitals, the guidelines most commonly included in current practice patterns were obtaining cultures before administering antibiotics (100%), determining capillary refill time (99%), and using crystalloids for initial fluid therapy (97%). The guidelines least commonly included in current practice were determination of ammoniac to rule out inborn errors of metabolism (51%) and the use of dopamine as the first choice of hemodynamic support (48%).

The management of sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock in neonates is not always guideline consistent, but quite a number of ACCCM and SSC guidelines were included in the current practice pattern.