Invasive fungal infection in very low birthweight infants: national prospective surveillance study
- 13 October 2005
- journal article
- Published by BMJ in Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal & Neonatal
- Vol. 91 (3), F188-F192
- https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.2005.082024
Abstract
Objective: To describe the epidemiology of invasive fungal infection in very low birthweight (VLBW: Design: National prospective surveillance study between February 2003 and February 2004 using the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit reporting system reconciled with cases identified through routine laboratory reporting to the Health Protection Agency (England, Wales, and Northern Ireland), the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health, and the UK Mycology Reference Laboratory. Results: Ninety four confirmed cases of invasive fungal infection were identified during the surveillance period giving an incidence of estimated annual incidence of 10.0 (95% confidence interval (CI) 8.0 to 12.0) cases per 1000 VLBW live births. Eighty one (86%) of the infants were of extremely low birth weight (ELBW: Candida species, predominantly C albicans and C parapsilosis, were isolated in 93% of cases. Most organisms were isolated from the bloodstream and urinary tract. Death occurred in 41% of the infected infants before 37 weeks postconceptional age. Conclusions: The incidence of invasive fungal infection in VLBW and ELBW infants in the United Kingdom is lower than reported in previous studies from tertiary centres in North America and elsewhere. The associated late neonatal and post-neonatal death rates are substantially higher than expected in infants without invasive fungal infection. These data may inform decisions about the evaluation and use of antifungal infection control strategies.Keywords
This publication has 24 references indexed in Scilit:
- Late-Onset Sepsis in Very Low Birth Weight Neonates: The Experience of the NICHD Neonatal Research NetworkPediatrics, 2002
- Changes in Pathogens Causing Early-Onset Sepsis in Very-Low-Birth-Weight InfantsNew England Journal of Medicine, 2002
- Amphotericin B versus fluconazole for controlling fungal infections in neutropenic cancer patientsPublished by Wiley ,2002
- Routine versus selective antifungal administration for control of fungal infections in patients with cancerPublished by Wiley ,2002
- Epidemiological, Clinical, and Microbiological Characteristics of Late-Onset Sepsis Among Very Low Birth Weight Infants in Israel: A National SurveyPublished by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) ,2002
- Fluconazole Prophylaxis against Fungal Colonization and Infection in Preterm InfantsNew England Journal of Medicine, 2001
- Amphotericin B lipid complex for neonatal invasive candidiasisArchives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal & Neonatal, 2001
- When to Suspect Fungal Infection in Neonates: A Clinical Comparison ofCandida albicansandCandida parapsilosisFungemia With Coagulase-Negative Staphylococcal BacteremiaPediatrics, 2000
- Risk factors for candidemia in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit patientsThe Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 2000
- Candida fungemia in neonates treated with fluconazole: report of forty cases, including eight with meningitisThe Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 1998