Skip to main content

Table 2 Episodes of neonatal bloodstream infections stratified according to primary bacteremia and bacteremia with various foci of infection

From: Incidence, clinical features, and implications on outcomes of neonatal late-onset sepsis with concurrent infectious focus

Characteristics

Neonatal BSIs with specific focus of infection (total n = 167)

Primary bacteremia

(n = 781)

Meningitis

(n = 51)

VAP (n = 36)

CLABSI

(n = 57)

NEC (n = 21)

Othersb

(n = 7)

Demographic characteristics

 Birth body weight (g), median (IQR)

2375 (1405–2905)**

960 (820–1600)**

1267.5 (911–2680)

1480 (1065–2040)*

2330 (1600–2700)*

1240 (880–1880)

 Gestational age (weeks), median (IQR)

35.0 (30.0–38.0)**

27.0 (25.0–31.0)**

29.5 (27.0–37.0)

29.0 (27.0–34.0)

37.0

(32–38)**

30.0 (27.0–34.0)

 Male sex, n (%)

30 (58.8)

21 (58.3)

29 (50.9)

10 (47.6)

5 (71.4)

405 (51.9)

Onset of BSI (day), median (IQR)

33.5 (17.8–60.3)

30 (20–58)*

25 (17–45.5)

19 (12–43)**

42 (11–73)

28 (17.0–53.0)

Perinatal history

 Low Apgar score at 5 min ( 7)

13 (25.5)**

22 (61.1)**

26 (45.6)

5 (23.8)**

2 (28.6)**

351 (44.9)

 Perinatal asphyxia

6 (11.8)

13 (36.1)**

4 (7.0)

2 (9.5)

0 (0)

62 (7.9)

Underlying chronic conditionsa

 Congenital anomalies

2 (3.9)

2 (5.6)

4 (7.0)

0 (0)

2 (28.6)

55 (7.0)

 Neurological comorbidities

23 (45.1)**

5 (13.9)

3 (5.3)

1 (4.8)

1 (14.3)

91 (11.7)

 Complicated congenital heart disease

0 (0)

0 (0)

3 (5.3)

0 (0)

0 (0)

32 (4.1)

 Acyanotic CHD with heart failure

0 (0)

1 (2.8)

3 (5.3)

0 (0)

0 (0)

17 (2.2)

 Bronchopulmonary dysplasia

9 (17.6)

23 (63.9)**

15 (26.3)

6 (28.6)

2 (28.6)

243 (31.1)

 Pulmonary hypertension

1 (2.0)

1 (2.8)

3 (5.3)

0 (0)

0 (0)

23 (2.9)

 Gastrointestinal pathology

0 (0)

1 (2.8)

4 (7.0)

3 (14.3)

0 (0)

54 (6.9)

 Renal

1 (2.0)

1 (2.8)

2 (3.5)

1 (4.8)

0 (0)

25 (3.2)

 Cholestasisb

4 (7.8)

9 (25.0)

13 (22.8)

6 (28.6)

4 (57.1)**

147 (18.8)

Clinical septic symptoms

 Fever (temperature > 38 °C)

33 (64.7)

8 (22.2)

26 (45.6)

6 (28.6)

4 (57.1)

319 (40.8)

 Apnea ± bradycardia and/or cyanosis

31 (60.8)

32 (88.9)

40 (70.2)

16 (76.2)

5 (71.4)

528 (67.6)

 Abdominal distension ± feeding intolerance

31 (60.8)

27 (75.0)*

27 (47.4)

21 (100)**

5 (71.4)*

457 (58.5)

 Tachycardia

15 (29.4)

5 (13.9)

13 (22.8)

6 (28.6)

1 (14.3)

177 (22.7)

 Hyper- or hypoglycemia

14 (27.5)

14 (38.9)

11 (19.3)

8 (38.1)

1 (14.3)

206 (26.4)

 Septic shock

8 (15.7)

11 (30.6)*

6 (10.5)

9 (42.9)**

2 (28.6)

126 (16.1)

 Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy

8 (15.7)*

5 (13.9)

3 (5.3)

5 (23.8)*

1 (14.3)

62 (7.9)

Laboratory parameter

 Leukopenia (WBC count <4000/uL)

12 (23.5)

6 (16.7)

5 (8.8)

9 (42.9)**

3 (42.9)**

127 (16.3)

 Leukocytosis (WBC count >20,000/uL)

14 (27.5)

14 (38.9)*

13 (22.8)

5 (23.8)

4 (57.1)**

217 (27.8)

 WBC shift to left (immature WBC ≥ 20%)

10 (19.6)

7 (19.4)

3 (5.3)

7 (33.3)**

1 (14.3)

89 (11.4)

 Anemia (hemoglobin <11.0 mg/dL)

22 (43.1)

23 (63.9)**

26 (45.6)

13 (61.9)**

2 (28.6)

291 (37.3)

 Thrombocytopenia (platelet <80,000/uL)

16 (31.4)

21 (58.3)**

19 (33.3)

11 (52.4)**

1 (14.3)

267 (34.2)

 Metabolic acidosis

12 (23.5)

15 (41.7)**

6 (11.8)

10 (47.7)**

1 (14.3)

139 (17.8)

 Prolonged PT and/or aPTT

12 (23.5)

11 (30.5)

12 (21.1)

11 (52.4)**

1 (14.3)

196 (25.1)

Sequences of BSI during hospitalization

 1st episode

41 (80.4)

27 (75.0)

42 (73.7)

19 (90.5)

4 (57.1)

584 (74.8)

 2nd episode

7 (13.7)

6 (16.7)

12 (21.1)

1 (4.8)

2 (28.6)

126 (16.1)

 3rd (or greater) episode

3 (5.9)

3 (8.3)

3 (5.3)

1 (4.8)

1 (14.3)

71 (9.1)

  1. All data were expressed as number (percentage %), unless indicated otherwise
  2. NTISS neonatal therapeutic intervention scoring system, IQR interquartile range, SD standard deviation, BSI bloodstream infection, NSD natural vaginal delivery, C/S cesarean section
  3. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.001; P values are the comparisons between BSIs with specific infectious focus and primary bacteremia
  4. aIndicating the presence of chronic conditions or comorbidities at onset of bloodstream infection, and some patients had >1 underlying chronic conditions. Each patient with an underlying chronic condition is compared with those without that specific condition
  5. bIndicating direct bilirubin ≥1.5 mg/dL or more than 50% of the total bilirubin