Epidemiological evolution of early-onset neonatal sepsis over 12 years: A single center, population-based study in central Taiwan.

Background: We aimed to explore the epidemiology and evolution of pathogens, antibiotic susceptibility, and mortality rate in cases of neonatal early-onset sepsis (EOS) reported over a period of 12 years in a level III neonatal center in Central Taiwan.

Methods: Patients' medical records in a neonatal center from 2007 to 2018 were reviewed to obtain information on infants with culture-proven EOS, which included pathogens found in the blood or cerebrospinal fluid cultures.

Results: The incidence of neonatal EOS during this period was 2.11 cases/1,000 admissions. Group B streptococcal (GBS) and Escherichia coli were the most common pathogens. The overall rates of GBS and E. coli infections were 0.68/1,000 and 0.77/1,000 live births, respectively. The incidence of EOS in infants with a birth weight ≥1,500 g decreased significantly with decreasing incidence of GBS-related sepsis. The incidence of EOS remained high in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants and increased over time. There was an increasing trend in of E. coli infection and emergence of drug-resistant strains. In addition, E. coli sepsis had high mortality in VLBW infants.

Conclusions: Novel screening and prevention strategies against E. coli and reserving broad-spectrum antibiotics for the most critically ill or VLBW patients with maternal chorioamnionitis might help in early diagnosis and further improve the outcomes of EOS.