Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.4
3.9
Journals
JCM
Special Issues
Recent Advances in Neonatal Sepsis
share announcement

Recent Advances in Neonatal Sepsis

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Obstetrics & Gynecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 August 2022) | Viewed by 11509

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Kosmas Sarafidis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Ippokrateion General Hospital of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Perinatal medicine and neonatology have seen significant advancements in recent decades. Nevertheless, the morbidity and mortality of neonatal sepsis are still high, evidence warning of important gaps in knowledge. Current scientific challenges include the more in-depth understanding of sepsis pathophysiology, the development of diagnostic–prognostic criteria, as well as of methods to quickly and reliably detect pathogens involved. The evaluation of novel antimicrobial agents, and of adjunctive or preventive interventions, are of crucial importance.

It is hoped that after overcoming these obstacles, and through the application of “precision medicine”, the burden of neonatal sepsis will be eliminated and outcomes improved. This Special Issue of the Journal of Clinical Medicine is dedicated to recent advances in neonatal sepsis, so as to provide an update of existing knowledge to physicians and investigators and, at the same time, promote scientific research in the field.

Prof. Dr. Kosmas Sarafidis
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • definition and diagnosis
  • biomarkers
  • antibiotics and antifungals
  • new technologies
  • outcomes

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

4 pages, 208 KiB  
Editorial
Special Issue “Recent Advances in Neonatal Sepsis”
by Kosmas Sarafidis
J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(4), 1385; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12041385 - 9 Feb 2023
Viewed by 1493
Abstract
Perinatal medicine and neonatology have seen significant advancements in recent decades [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Neonatal Sepsis)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

17 pages, 2037 KiB  
Article
The Value of Perinatal Factors, Blood Biomarkers and Microbiological Colonization Screening in Predicting Neonatal Sepsis
by Isabel Cao, Norman Lippmann and Ulrich H. Thome
J. Clin. Med. 2022, 11(19), 5837; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11195837 - 1 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1466
Abstract
Background: Neonatal sepsis is one of the most important causes of elevated morbidity and mortality rates in neonatal intensive care units worldwide. While the clinical manifestations of neonatal sepsis tend to be nonspecific, its rapid development and life-threatening potential call for reliable markers [...] Read more.
Background: Neonatal sepsis is one of the most important causes of elevated morbidity and mortality rates in neonatal intensive care units worldwide. While the clinical manifestations of neonatal sepsis tend to be nonspecific, its rapid development and life-threatening potential call for reliable markers for early detection. Methods: We conducted a retrospective single-center study including all neonates suspected of having developed neonatal sepsis from 2013 to 2016. Perinatal and clinical characteristics as well as microbiological and laboratory findings were evaluated. Neonatal sepsis was defined as either culture-proven sepsis (positive blood culture) or clinical sepsis (at least one symptom and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations within 72 h with negative blood culture). We further differentiated between early-onset (EOS) and late-onset (LOS) sepsis. Results: Microbiological colonization screening by throat and rectal swabs frequently did not detect the organism that subsequently caused the sepsis. Depending on the age of the newborn with sepsis (EOS or LOS), associations between different anamnestic and clinical factors (prenatal or postnatal ones) were found. In particular, the central–peripheral temperature difference showed a strong association with LOS. Laboratory results useful for the early detection of neonatal sepsis included interleukin-6 (IL-6) and CRP concentrations. Conclusions: Elevated IL-6 >100 ng/L was a strong marker for neonatal sepsis. When choosing the antibiotics for treatment, data from microbiological colonization screening should be considered but not solely relied on. Some indicators of infection also depended on postnatal age. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Neonatal Sepsis)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 2696 KiB  
Article
Automated Complete Blood Cell Count Using Sysmex XN-9000® in the Diagnosis of Newborn Infection
by Nils Wettin, Tim Drogies, Andreas Kühnapfel, Berend Isermann and Ulrich Herbert Thome
J. Clin. Med. 2022, 11(19), 5507; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11195507 - 20 Sep 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1494
Abstract
The early identification of septically infected newborn infants is important for ensuring good outcomes. Blood cell differentiations are helpful, but they are often time consuming and inaccurate. In this study, we evaluated the use of automatic white blood cell differentiations by flow cytometry [...] Read more.
The early identification of septically infected newborn infants is important for ensuring good outcomes. Blood cell differentiations are helpful, but they are often time consuming and inaccurate. In this study, we evaluated the use of automatic white blood cell differentiations by flow cytometry for the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis. Episodes of suspected infection in neonates were retrospectively classified into two groups, unlikely infection (UI, levels of Interleukin-6 < 400 pg/mL or CRP within 48 h < 10 mg/L), n = 101 and probable infection (PI, Interleukin-6 ≥ 400 pg/mL or CRP within 48 h ≥ 10 mg/L), n = 98. Complete blood cell counts were performed by Sysmex XN-9000® using flow cytometry. Relative and absolute proportions of immature granulocytes were evaluated. Unexpectedly, the absolute count of immature granulocytes was significantly lower in the group of PI compared to UI neonates. Similar results were found when analysing the relative proportion of immature granulocytes among all neutrophil granulocytes. On the other hand, manually counted immature to total (I/T) ratios of granulocytes were higher in PI than in UI infants. Therefore, we conclude that differentiations of granulocytes by Sysmex XN-9000® can be used to distinguish between infected and uninfected neonates if the results are interpreted according to our findings. A low count of immature granulocytes as determined by Sysmex XN-9000® may indicate neonatal infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Neonatal Sepsis)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 1611 KiB  
Article
A Prospective, Case-Control Study of Serum Metabolomics in Neonates with Late-Onset Sepsis and Necrotizing Enterocolitis
by Agathi Thomaidou, Olga Deda, Olga Begou, Artemis Lioupi, Angeliki Kontou, Helen Gika, Eleni Agakidou, Georgios Theodoridis and Kosmas Sarafidis
J. Clin. Med. 2022, 11(18), 5270; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11185270 - 7 Sep 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1658
Abstract
Late-onset sepsis (LOS) and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) are major causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality. In this prospective, case-control study, we evaluated the metabolic profile of neonates with LOS and NEC. Blood samples were collected from 15 septic neonates and 17 neonates with [...] Read more.
Late-onset sepsis (LOS) and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) are major causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality. In this prospective, case-control study, we evaluated the metabolic profile of neonates with LOS and NEC. Blood samples were collected from 15 septic neonates and 17 neonates with NEC at the clinical suspicion of the specific diseases. Sixteen gestational and postnatal age-matched neonates without sepsis/NEC served as controls. Serum metabolic profiles were assessed using liquid chromatography–quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Metabolomic analysis revealed significant differences in the metabolic profile of neonates with LOS or NEC compared to controls. More specifically, a number of molecules possibly identified as phosphatidylcholines or lysophosphatidylcholines were found to be significantly reduced both in neonates with LOS and those with NEC compared to controls. Additionally, L-carnitine could efficiently discriminate NEC cases from controls. The results of the current study suggest that certain phospholipids and their derivatives could possibly be used as biomarkers for the early detection of LOS and NEC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Neonatal Sepsis)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 3999 KiB  
Article
Protective Role of an Initial Low-Dose Septic Challenge against Lethal Sepsis in Neonatal Mice: A Pilot Study
by Ruka Nakasone, Mariko Ashina, Takumi Kido, Harunori Miyauchi, Masafumi Saito, Shigeaki Inoue, Masakazu Shinohara, Kandai Nozu and Kazumichi Fujioka
J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10(24), 5823; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10245823 - 13 Dec 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1746
Abstract
Neonatal sepsis is characterized by systemic bacterial invasion followed by a massive inflammatory response. At present, no therapeutic strategy has been found that significantly reduces the mortality of neonatal sepsis. We aimed to investigate the protective role of an initial low-dose septic challenge [...] Read more.
Neonatal sepsis is characterized by systemic bacterial invasion followed by a massive inflammatory response. At present, no therapeutic strategy has been found that significantly reduces the mortality of neonatal sepsis. We aimed to investigate the protective role of an initial low-dose septic challenge for the prevention of subsequent lethal sepsis in a mouse model. A stock cecal slurry (CS) solution was prepared from adult ceca. The LD83 (1.5 mg CS/g) was used for all animals. An initial challenge of normal saline (NS) or 0.5 mg CS/g (non-lethal dose) was administered at four days of age, then 1.5 mg CS/g was administered intraperitoneally at seven days of age (72 h post-initial challenge), and survival was monitored. Initial exposure to NS (n = 10) resulted in 90% mortality following exposure to the LD83 CS dose in contrast to an initial exposure to CS (n = 16), which significantly decreased mortality to 6% (p < 0.0001), reduced blood bacterial counts, attenuated inflammatory responses, and suppressed lipid mediators. Initial exposure to a non-lethal CS dose prior to exposure to a lethal CS dose significantly reduces sepsis mortality, a protective effect that might be mediated by modulating abnormal systemic inflammatory responses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Neonatal Sepsis)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

31 pages, 2285 KiB  
Review
Antimicrobial Peptides in Early-Life Host Defense, Perinatal Infections, and Necrotizing Enterocolitis—An Update
by Eleni Agakidou, Charalampos Agakidis, Angeliki Kontou, William Chotas and Kosmas Sarafidis
J. Clin. Med. 2022, 11(17), 5074; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11175074 - 29 Aug 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2605
Abstract
Host defense against early-life infections such as chorioamnionitis, neonatal sepsis, or necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) relies primarily on innate immunity, in which antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) play a major role. AMPs that are important for the fetus and neonate include α and β defensins, cathelicidin [...] Read more.
Host defense against early-life infections such as chorioamnionitis, neonatal sepsis, or necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) relies primarily on innate immunity, in which antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) play a major role. AMPs that are important for the fetus and neonate include α and β defensins, cathelicidin LL-37, antiproteases (elafin, SLPI), and hepcidin. They can be produced by the fetus or neonate, the placenta, chorioamniotic membranes, recruited neutrophils, and milk-protein ingestion or proteolysis. They possess antimicrobial, immunomodulating, inflammation-regulating, and tissue-repairing properties. AMPs are expressed as early as the 13th week and increase progressively through gestation. Limited studies are available on AMP expression and levels in the fetus and neonate. Nevertheless, existing evidence supports the role of AMPs in pathogenesis of chorioamnionitis, neonatal sepsis, and NEC, and their association with disease severity. This suggests a potential role of AMPs in diagnosis, prevention, prognosis, and treatment of sepsis and NEC. Herein, we present an overview of the antimicrobial and immunomodulating properties of human AMPs, their sources in the intrauterine environment, fetus, and neonate, and their changes during pre- and post-natal infections and NEC. We also discuss emerging data regarding the potential utility of AMPs in early-life infections, as diagnostic or predictive biomarkers and as therapeutic alternatives or adjuncts to antibiotic therapy considering the increase of antibiotic resistance in neonatal intensive care units. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Neonatal Sepsis)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-6
Back to TopTop