Guidelines
Neonatal Sepsis

Neonatal Sepsis

Routine Practices

  • Blood culture, urine culture, urinalysis, and lumbar puncture are usually recommended.
  • Consider chest X-ray

Common Pathogens

Treatment

AND

+/-

Add if:

  • Colonized with MRSA, OR
  • Sepsis >48 hours after admission AND
  • CVL or >4 vascular access attempts in preceding 48 hours

For NICU patients, with confirmed gram-negative organism in blood who are critically unwell or deteriorating

  • Meropenem should only be used in patients with gram negative organisms in blood or CSF for possible ESBL infections.
  • Therapy should be narrowed once culture and susceptibility are available.
  • For patients outside of the NICU, ID consult required for empiric meropenem use.

More Information

Red Book 2015; Polin, Richard A. "Management of neonates with suspected or proven early-onset bacterial sepsis." Pediatrics 129.5 (2012): 1006-1015