Hello and welcome to the Zero to Finals podcast. My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be

talking to you about neonatal sepsis. And you can follow along with written notes on this topic at

zero definals.com or in the neonatology section of the Zero to Finals Pediatrics book. So let's get

straight into it. Neonatal

sepsis is caused by infection in the neonatal period. It potentially results in significant

morbidity and mortality for the affected infant, particularly if treatment is delayed.

It can present with very non-specific signs and requires a high degree

of suspicion and a low threshold for starting treatment with broad spectrum antibiotics.

This is a brief summary to help your learning, always refer to local and national guidelines

and involve seniors when treating patients. Let's talk about the common organisms that

cause neonatal sepsis. The key organism to remember is Group B Streptococcus, or GBS, but it can also

be caused by E. coli, Listeria, Klebsiella, and Staphyoccus aureus. A tom tip at this point, the organism to

remember for your exams is Group B Strep or GBS. This is a common bacteria found in the vagina. It doesn't

cause any problems for the mother, but it can be transferred to the baby during labour and cause neonatal

sepsis. If the mother is found to have group B strep in her vagina during pregnancy,

prophylactic antibiotics can be given during labour to reduce the risk of transmission to the

neonate. Let's talk about some risk factors for neonatal sepsis.

We've already talked about vaginal GBS colonization.

Another risk factor is group B strep sepsis in a previous baby to that mother.

Maternal sepsis, choreoamnionitis or a fever in the mother above 38 degrees,

prematurity of less than 37 weeks,

early premature rupture of membranes,

...