[Clinically and epidemiology unusual infection with E. coli 0 111:B4 on a newborn division (author's transl)]

From a clinical and epidemiological point of view an interesting infection with the classical dyspepsia coli type 0 111: B4 occurred at a newborn division of a county hospital. During the course of 3 months, 22 newborn children fell seriously ill. Only 2 of these 22 childrens had been nursed before the onset of the infection. All the others had been artifically fed. Three of these offlicted children developed a serious sepsis. One of the children died of pyocyaneus sepsis. The children were treated according to the degree of severity with infusions and given special food supplements prepared with low-fat milk. 13 children had to be fed parenterally for a longer period of time. The source of the infection was discovered in the pipes of sinks in the delivery room and in the cribs of the newborn division. It was possible to eradicate the source of infection and bring the disease under control. Microbiologically a resistance towards all the common antibiotics was noticed, except towards gentamycin to which the bacteria proved to be sensitive.