












* Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
|| National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland
¶ Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama
# Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
** Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana

Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio

Joint Program in Neonatology, Harvard University, Childrens Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
|||| Center for Clinical Research and Evidence Based Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School, Houston, Texas
¶¶ Department of Pediatrics, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
## Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
*** The Newborn Center, University of Tennessee-Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee


Division of Neonatal and Perinatal Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan


Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
|||||| Division of Neonatology, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, California
¶¶¶ Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Objective. Late-onset sepsis (occurring after 3 days of age) is an important problem in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. To determine the current incidence of late-onset sepsis, risk factors for disease, and the impact of late-onset sepsis on subsequent hospital course, we evaluated a cohort of 6956 VLBW (4011500 g) neonates admitted to the clinical centers of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network over a 2-year period (19982000).
Methods. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network maintains a prospective registry of all VLBW neonates admitted to participating centers within 14 days of birth. Expanded infection surveillance was added in 1998.
Results. Of 6215 infants who survived beyond 3 days, 1313 (21%) had 1 or more episodes of blood culture-proven late-onset sepsis. The vast majority of infections (70%) were caused by Gram-positive organisms, with coagulase-negative staphylococci accounting for 48% of infections. Rate of infection was inversely related to birth weight and gestational age. Complications of prematurity associated with an increased rate of late-onset sepsis included patent ductus arteriosus, prolonged ventilation, prolonged intravascular access, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and necrotizing enterocolitis. Infants who developed late-onset sepsis had a significantly prolonged hospital stay (mean length of stay: 79 vs 60 days). They were significantly more likely to die than those who were uninfected (18% vs 7%), especially if they were infected with Gram-negative organisms (36%) or fungi (32%).
Conclusions. Late-onset sepsis remains an important risk factor for death among VLBW preterm infants and for prolonged hospital stay among VLBW survivors. Strategies to reduce late-onset sepsis and its medical, social, and economic toll need to be addressed urgently.
Key Words: sepsis infant newborn infant very low birth weight infant premature
Abbreviations: VLBW, very low birth weight NICHD, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development CRP, C-reactive protein CONS, coagulase-negative staphylococci GA, gestational age IVH, intraventricular hemorrhage NEC, necrotizing enterocolitis RDS, respiratory distress syndrome BPD, bronchopulmonary dysplasia NS, not significant OR, odds ratio PICC, percutaneously inserted central catheter PAL, peripheral arterial line CVL, surgically placed central venous line UAC, umbilical arterial catheter UVC, umbilical venous catheter NICU, neonatal intensive care unit
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