Risk Factors for Neonatal Sepsis and Method for Reduction of Blood Culture Contamination.

Area of Science:

• Neonatal Medicine
• Infectious Disease Control
• Clinical Microbiology

Background:

• False-positive blood cultures in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) can lead to increased patient morbidity and elevated healthcare expenses.
• Accurate sepsis diagnosis is critical for timely and appropriate treatment in vulnerable preterm infants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of implementing sterile blood culture techniques and checklists on reducing contamination rates in a neonatal intensive care unit.
• To identify key risk factors associated with neonatal sepsis.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective-prospective study involving 239 preterm infants in the NICU over one year.
• Comparison of blood culture contamination rates between a 'clean technique' group and a 'sterile technique' group with checklist utilization.

Main Results:

• Key risk factors for neonatal sepsis included prelabor rupture of membranes, low gestational age, low birth weight, mechanical ventilation, umbilical venous catheter, and abdominal drainage.
• Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus were the most common contaminants in false-positive blood cultures.

Conclusions:

• Employee education, consistent use of sterile blood sampling kits and checklists, and regular monitoring are essential for minimizing blood culture contamination.
• These interventions are crucial for reducing false-positive results and improving the accuracy of sepsis diagnosis in neonates.