Can Early Changes in Vital signs Predict Duration of Antibiotic Therapy in Suspected Neonatal Sepsis?

Area of Science:

• Neonatal Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Pediatric Critical Care

Background:

• Suspected sepsis is a primary reason for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admissions.
• Infants often receive 48-72 hours of empirical antibiotic treatment.
• Predicting which neonates require prolonged antibiotic therapy early in treatment is challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate if initial vital sign measurements can predict prolonged antibiotic therapy needs in term and late-preterm infants.
• To identify specific vital signs that correlate with the duration of antibiotic treatment in neonates.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective data collection over one year for neonates admitted for antibiotic treatment.
• Classification of infants into standard (<48 hours) and prolonged (>48 hours) antibiotic therapy groups.
• Analysis of vital sign measurements, including respiratory rate, at admission and 12 hours post-therapy initiation.

Main Results:

• Respiratory rate on admission and 12 hours after therapy initiation showed a significant correlation with antibiotic duration.
• Infants requiring prolonged therapy were more likely to exhibit one or more abnormal vital signs 12 hours post-treatment initiation (p<0.05).
• A weak positive correlation was observed between respiratory rate and antibiotic duration.

Conclusions:

• Abnormal vital signs 12 hours after initiating antibiotic therapy are associated with prolonged treatment requirements.
• Respiratory rate changes may serve as an indicator for predicting the need for extended antibiotic therapy in neonates.
• Vital sign monitoring offers a potential tool for early detection of infants requiring prolonged antibiotic courses.