Table of Contents
What is occult bacteremia?
Occult bacteremia, the presence of pathogenic bacteria in the blood of a well-appearing febrile child without an identifiable focus of infection, is a subject of controversy in pediatrics and emergency medicine.
What causes bacteria in the blood in infants?
Causes. Neonatal sepsis can be caused by bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E coli), Listeria, and some strains of streptococcus. Group B streptococcus (GBS) has been a major cause of neonatal sepsis. However, this problem has become less common because women are screened during pregnancy.
What is the most common cause of bacteremia?
With the decrease in pneumococcal rates, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp, and Staphylococcus aureus rates increased as the leading causes of bacteremia accounting for 77% of cases.
What are the causes of bacterial infection in babies?
Most infections in newborn babies are caused by bacteria, and some by viruses. A mother’s birth canal contains bacteria, especially if they have an active infection. During childbirth, the baby can swallow or breathe in the fluid in the birth canal, and bacteria or viruses can get into their lungs and blood.
How do infants get bacterial infections?
How serious is bacteremia?
Bacteremia is a bacterial infection that has spread to the bloodstream. This is serious because it can cause a lot of harm to the body. It can spread to other organs, including the kidneys, brain, and lungs. Bacteremia that spreads and harms other parts of the body is called sepsis.
What are the signs and symptoms of bacteremia?
Symptoms and Signs of Bacteremia Development of symptoms such as tachypnea, shaking chills, persistent fever, altered sensorium, hypotension, and gastrointestinal symptoms (abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea) suggests sepsis or septic shock.
What bacteria causes bacteremia?
Causes
- Staphylococcus aureus, including MRSA.
- Escherichia coli (E. coli)
- Pneumococcal bacteria.
- Group A Streptococcus.
- Salmonella species.
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
What are the symptoms of bacterial infection in babies?
Call your child’s doctor or seek emergency medical care if your new baby shows any of these possible signs of infection:
- poor feeding.
- breathing difficulty.
- listlessness.
- decreased or elevated temperature.
- unusual skin rash or change in skin color.
- persistent crying.
- unusual irritability.
How long do bacterial infections last in babies?
Babies are treated for between 2 and 10 days. Some babies may require treatment for a longer period.
Is bacteremia a serious condition?
How does bacteremia start?
Bacteremia is the presence of bacteria in the bloodstream. It can occur spontaneously, during certain tissue infections, with use of indwelling genitourinary or IV catheters, or after dental, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, wound-care, or other procedures.
What does occult infection mean?
Occult (hidden) bacteremia is the presence of bacteria in the bloodstream of a child who has a fever but who looks well and has no obvious source of infection. Most commonly, occult bacteremia is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. Typically, children have no symptoms other than fever.
Evaluation and management of the febrile infant aged < 3 months Occult bacteremia is the presence of bacteria in the bloodstream of febrile young children who have no apparent foci of infection and look well. Diagnosis is by blood culture and exclusion of… read more ).
How is occult bacteremia treated in children?
Treatment is with antibiotics, either in the hospital or as outpatients; select children are treated pending blood culture results. The causes, evaluation, and management of possible occult bacteremia vary by children’s age and immunization status. See also Fever in Infants and Children.
What is the prevalence of occult bacteremia in febrile infants?
Thus, in this age group, occult bacteremia has become rare except in underimmunized or nonimmunized children, and in children with immunodeficiency. In contrast, febrile infants < 3 months of age continue to have a greater risk of serious bacterial infection (SBI) than older infants, about 8 to 10%.
What are the symptoms of bacteremia in children?
(See also Bacteremia in adults.) Children younger than 3 years commonly develop fevers. Most of the time, they have other symptoms, such as a cough and runny nose, which help doctors diagnose the cause of the fever. Sometimes, however, children have fever and no other symptoms.