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Updated: Aug 4, 2025

A Neonatal Imaging Model of Gram-Negative Bacterial Sepsis
Published on: August 12, 2020
Time to first dose of antibiotics in febrile neonates
Nicholas Rawcliffe1, Dawn Elder2, Hazel Dobinson1
1Te Wao Nui Child Health, Capital Coast and Hutt Valley District Health, Wellington, New Zealand.
Aim:
To assess whether febrile neonates from the community received their first dose of intravenous antibiotics within 1 h from time of arrival, as per the regional paediatric sepsis pathway, at a tertiary combined adult/child emergency department in New Zealand.
Method:
Retrospective data were collected from January 2018 to December 2019 with 28 patients included.
Results:
Mean time to first antibiotic dose for all neonates and those with serious bacterial infection was 3 h 20 min and 2 h 53 min respectively. No case used the paediatric sepsis pathway. A pathogen was identified in 19/28 (67%) neonates and 16/28 (57%) had clinical signs of shock.
Conclusion:
This study adds to Australasian data on community neonatal sepsis. Antibiotic administration was delayed for neonates with serious bacterial infection, clinical signs of shock and raised lactate. The reasons for delay are examined, with a number of potential areas for improvement identified.
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