Abstract
To determine the prognostic significance of leukopenia in early onset neonatal group B streptococcal sepsis, Nursery ICU admissions were reviewed from 1969-1976. 40 cases of blood culture proven Group B streptococcal sepsis were found in infants under 5 days of age. 55% were premature infants. The majority of patients (78%) presented with respiratory distress often associated with apnes. Leukopenia (total WBC < 5000) was found in 48% of the septic infants. Of 21 patients who had lumbar punctures, 12 had Group B streptococcus isolated from the CSF as well as blood.
The overall survival of combined term and preterm infants was 70%. Term infants showed no correlation between leukopenia and survival (83% (10/12) of infants with normal TWBC survived versus 83% (5/6) for infants with TWBC < 5000). In premature infants leukopenia seemed to be associated with a decreased survival (78% (7/9) of infants with normal TWBC survived versus 46% (6/13) of infants with TWBC < 5000), however, this difference was found to be insignificant (p=0.15 by the Fisher Exact Test).
Currently more cases are being sought to determine if the trend of decreased survival in leukopenic prematures persists but, at this time, it would appear that there is no significant correlation between the level of TWBC and survival in early onset neonatal group B streptoccal sepsis.
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Bacsik, R., Cook, L., Shott, R. et al. THE INFLUENCE OF LEUKOPENIA ON SURVIVAL IN EARLY ONSET GROUP B STREPTOCOCCAL SEPSIS. Pediatr Res 11, 497 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00763
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00763