Article Text

Download PDFPDF
Nosocomial infection in small for gestational age newborns with birth weight <1500 g: a multicentre analysis
  1. Dorothee B Bartels1,
  2. Frank Schwab2,
  3. Christine Geffers2,
  4. Christian F Poets3,*,
  5. Petra Gastmeier2,*
  1. 1
    Department of Epidemiology, Public Medicine and Healthcare Systems Research, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
  2. 2
    Institute of Hygiene, Charité-University Medicine in Berlin, Berlin, Germany
  3. 3
    Department of Neonatology, University Children’s Hospital, Tübingen, Germany
  1. Dr Dorothee B Bartels, Department of Epidemiology, Public Medicine and Healthcare Systems Research, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, OE 5410, 30625 Hannover, Germany; bartels.dorothee{at}mh-hannover.de

Abstract

Objective: To investigate whether preterm newborns who are small for gestational age are at increased risk of nosocomial infections and necrotising enterocolitis.

Design, setting and subjects: The German national surveillance system for nosocomial infection in very low birthweight infants uses the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. 2918 newborns (24–28 weeks), born between 2000 and 2004, were selected after application of predefined inclusion criteria to ensure similar proportions of small and appropriate weight for gestational age newborns across gestational age groups.

Main outcome measures: The outcome criterion was at least one episode of nosocomial sepsis, pneumonia or necrotising enterocolitis. Adjusted odds ratios and corresponding 95% CIs were calculated based on general estimating equation models.

Results: The study population consisted of 13% (n = 392) small and 87% (n = 2526) appropriate weight for gestational age infants. 33% (n = 950) of the infants experienced at least one episode of sepsis: 42% (n = 163) of small and 31% (n = 787) of appropriate weight for gestational age newborns (adjusted OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.89). Pneumonia was diagnosed in 6% (n = 171) of infants: 8.4% (n = 33) of small and 5.5% (n = 138) of appropriate weight for gestational age newborns (adjusted OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.19 to 5.57). Necrotising enterocolitis was documented in 5.2% (n = 152) of infants: 7.1% (n = 28) of small and 4.9% of (n = 124) appropriate weight for gestational age newborns (adjusted OR 1.20, 95% confidence interval 0.75 to 1.94).

Conclusions: Growth-retarded preterm infants seem to be at increased risk of nosocomial infection, irrespective of the responsible pathogen. Future immunological research should elucidate potential causal associations.

Statistics from Altmetric.com

Request Permissions

If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.

Footnotes

  • C F Poets and P Gastmeier have contributed equally to this study.

  • Competing interests: None.

  • Abbreviations:
    AGA
    appropriate for gestational age
    CDC
    Centers of Disease Control and Prevention
    CRIB
    Clinical Risk Index for Babies
    CPAP
    continuous positive airway pressure
    CVC
    central venous catheter
    GEE
    general estimating equation
    NEC
    necrotising enterocolitis
    PVC
    peripheral venous catheter, SGA, small for gestational age

Linked Articles

  • Fantoms
    Martin Ward Platt