TY - JOUR
T1 - Early-onset group B streptococcal infections in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal infants
AU - Isaacs, D.
AU - McNeil, R.
AU - Wong, M.
AU - Barfield, C.
AU - Clothier, T.
AU - Ehrlich, J.
AU - Morey, F.
AU - Darlow, B.
AU - Diplock, R.
AU - Humphrey, I.
AU - Grimwood, K.
AU - Jeffery, H.
AU - Kohan, R.
AU - McPhee, Andrew
AU - Minutillo, C.
AU - Tudehope, D.
PY - 1995/1/1
Y1 - 1995/1/1
N2 - Objectives: To survey early-onset neonatal infections in Australian and New Zealand neonatal units and to compare the incidence of group B streptococcal (GBS) sepsis among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal babies. Design: Second year of an ongoing longitudinal, prospective study. Setting: Nine Australian units and one New Zealand unit with level 3 neonatal care and one Australian unit with level 2 care, between October 1992 and September 1993 inclusive. Outcome measures: Episodes of early-onset sepsis (within 48 hours of birth), causative organisms, mortality, birthweight and gestational age. Subjects: Babies in the neonatal units with early-onset systemic sepsis, either born in attached maternity hospitals or referred. Results: In the Australian units there were 100 episodes of early-onset sepsis (incidence among babies born in attached maternity hospitals of 2.9 per 1000 live births). GBS was the commonest infecting agent (70% of cases) and caused all 12 cases of early-onset meningitis. The mortality from early-onset sepsis was 10%. The incidence of GBS sepsis was 1.7 per 1000 live births in non-Aboriginal babies and 5.2 per 1000 in Aboriginal babies (odds ratio, 3.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-6.6). Conclusions: Early-onset GBS sepsis is more than 3 times as common in Aboriginal babies delivered in hospital than in non-Aboriginal babies. Four of seven Australian maternity hospitals surveyed had no firm policy for reducing the incidence of early-onset GBS sepsis. All should urgently consider such a policy.
AB - Objectives: To survey early-onset neonatal infections in Australian and New Zealand neonatal units and to compare the incidence of group B streptococcal (GBS) sepsis among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal babies. Design: Second year of an ongoing longitudinal, prospective study. Setting: Nine Australian units and one New Zealand unit with level 3 neonatal care and one Australian unit with level 2 care, between October 1992 and September 1993 inclusive. Outcome measures: Episodes of early-onset sepsis (within 48 hours of birth), causative organisms, mortality, birthweight and gestational age. Subjects: Babies in the neonatal units with early-onset systemic sepsis, either born in attached maternity hospitals or referred. Results: In the Australian units there were 100 episodes of early-onset sepsis (incidence among babies born in attached maternity hospitals of 2.9 per 1000 live births). GBS was the commonest infecting agent (70% of cases) and caused all 12 cases of early-onset meningitis. The mortality from early-onset sepsis was 10%. The incidence of GBS sepsis was 1.7 per 1000 live births in non-Aboriginal babies and 5.2 per 1000 in Aboriginal babies (odds ratio, 3.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-6.6). Conclusions: Early-onset GBS sepsis is more than 3 times as common in Aboriginal babies delivered in hospital than in non-Aboriginal babies. Four of seven Australian maternity hospitals surveyed had no firm policy for reducing the incidence of early-onset GBS sepsis. All should urgently consider such a policy.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0029154921&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1995.tb124596.x
DO - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1995.tb124596.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 7565236
AN - SCOPUS:0029154921
VL - 163
SP - 302-303+305-306
JO - The Medical journal of Australia
JF - The Medical journal of Australia
SN - 0025-729X
IS - 6
ER -