[Sepsis caused by coagulase-negative Staphylococcus in the newborn infant. Clinical and therapeutic aspects]

This study deals with sepsis caused by coagulase-negative stapylococci in a neonatal intensive care unit over a period of four years and eleven months. The global incidence was 20.7/1000 (50 cases out of a total of 2,416 admissions) and was higher in newborns with lower weight and with a shorter gestational age. The most significant clinical manifestations were fever, paleness, and apnea/bradycardia. In all cases the germ was sensitive to vancomycin. Evolution was favourable in all patients, in spite of the initial gravity of some cases. Sepsis due to coagulase-negative staphylococci is the most frequent cause of nosocomial infection in our environment.