Research

Sepsis in previously healthy neonates discharged home after delivery in Soweto, South Africa

N S Mangeni, F Solomon, S Velaphi, A Izu, S A Madhi, Z Dangor, S G Lala

Abstract


Background. There is a paucity of data on the aetiology of neonatal sepsis in sub-Saharan Africa.

Objectives. To investigate the incidence, aetiology and outcomes of physician-diagnosed sepsis in hospitalised neonates who had previously been discharged home after delivery in Soweto, South Africa.

Methods. A retrospective review using data abstracted from clinical and laboratory databases identified physician-diagnosed sepsis cases in neonates admitted to the general paediatric wards at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital from January 2015 to September 2016. Neonates with physician-diagnosed sepsis were categorised into two groups based on putative pathogens recovered from blood and/or cerebrospinal fluid specimens: (i) culture-confirmed sepsis; and (ii) culture-negative sepsis.

Results. Of 1 826 neonatal admissions, 1 025 (56.2%) had physician-diagnosed sepsis: 166 (16.2%) with culture-confirmed sepsis and 859 (83.8%) with culture-negative neonatal sepsis. The commonest pathogens causing culture-confirmed neonatal sepsis were Streptococcus viridans (n=53; 26.5%), S. agalactiae (n=38; 19.0%), and Staphylococcus aureus (n=25; 12.5%). The case fatality rates for culture-confirmed sepsis and culture-negative sepsis were 10.8% (18/166) and 2.6% (22/859), respectively. The odds of death occurring during hospitalisation was 10-fold (95% confidence interval 3.7 - 26.9) higher in neonates with culture-confirmed sepsis compared with culture-negative sepsis.

Conclusions. In our setting, physician-diagnosed sepsis represents a huge disease burden in previously healthy neonates hospitalised from home. Most sepsis cases were attributed to S. viridans, S. agalactiae and S. aureus.


Authors' affiliations

N S Mangeni, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

F Solomon, South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Department of Science and Technology/National Research Foundation Research Chair in Vaccine Preventable Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

S Velaphi, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

A Izu, South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Department of Science and Technology/National Research Foundation Research Chair in Vaccine Preventable Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

S A Madhi, South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Department of Science and Technology/National Research Foundation Research Chair in Vaccine Preventable Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

Z Dangor, South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Paediatric Education and Research Ladder, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital and Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

S G Lala, Paediatric Education and Research Ladder, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital and Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Perinatal HIV Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

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Keywords

Neonates; Sepsis; HIV

Cite this article

South African Medical Journal 2021;111(5):432-436. DOI:10.7196/SAMJ.2021.v111i5.15181

Article History

Date submitted: 2021-04-30
Date published: 2021-04-30

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