Risk factors associated with late-onset neonatal sepsis

Sepsis is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in neonates.

To identify the risk factors for neonatal sepsis in a neonatal unit from March to October, 2016.

Case-control study. The factors analyzed were: a) neonatal factors such as: type of delivery, sex, birth weight, gestational age, criteria for systemic inflammatory response syndrome, type of sepsis (early or late) and blood culture result; B) invasive methods such as: central catheterization, total parenteral nutrition, umbilical catheterization and mechanical ventilation; C) maternal factors such as: number of prenatal controls, infection during pregnancy, premature rupture of membranes, maternal age and maternal fever. Odds Ratio was used to determine association.

For the development of early-onset sepsis, significant risk factors were: thermodynamic imbalance, tachycardia and maternal fever. With regard to late-onset sepsis, significant associations were found for thermodynamic imbalance, umbilical catheterization, mechanical ventilation and insufficient prenatal care.

Thermodynamic imbalance, tachycardia, mechanical ventilation, umbilical catheterization, maternal fever, and insufficient prenatal care were the probable risk factors associated with neonatal sepsis.