Early-onset neonatal sepsis and antibiotic use in Indonesia: a descriptive, cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis and prompt antibiotic treatment are crucial to reducing morbidity and mortality of early-onset sepsis (EOS) in neonates. However, this strategy remains challenging due to non-specific clinical findings and limited facilities. Inappropriate antibiotics use is associated with ineffective therapy and adverse outcomes. This study aims to determine the characteristics of EOS and use of antibiotics in the neonatal-intensive care units (NICUs) in Indonesia, informing efforts to drive improvements in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of EOS. METHODS: A descriptive study was conducted based on pre-intervention data of the South East Asia-Using Research for Change in Hospital-acquired Infection in Neonates project. Our study population consisted of neonates admitted within 72 h of life to the three participating NICUs. Neonates who presented with three or more clinical signs or laboratory results consistent with sepsis and who received antibiotics for 5 consecutive days were considered to have EOS. Culture-proven EOS was defined as positive blood or cerebrospinal fluid culture. Type and duration of antibiotics used were also documented. RESULTS: Of 2,509 neonates, 242 cases were suspected of having EOS (9.6%) with culture-proven sepsis in 83 cases (5.0% of neonatal admissions in hospitals with culture facilities). The causative organisms were mostly gram-negative bacteria (85/94; 90.4%). Ampicillin / amoxicillin and amikacin were the most frequently prescribed antibiotics in hospitals with culture facilities, while a third-generation cephalosporin was mostly administered in hospital without culture facilities. The median durations of antibiotic therapy were 19 and 9 days in culture-proven and culture-negative EOS groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The overall incidence of EOS and culture-proven EOS was high in Indonesia, with diverse and prolonged use of antibiotics. Prospective antibiotic surveillance and stewardship interventions are required.

Oral nystatin prophylaxis to prevent systemic fungal infection in very low birth weight preterm infants: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Systemic fungal infection (SFI) is one of leading causes of morbidity and mortality in very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants. Because early diagnosis of SFI is challenging due to nonspecific manifestations, prophylaxis becomes crucial. This study aimed to assess effectiveness of oral nystatin as an antifungal prophylaxis to prevent SFI in VLBW preterm infants. METHODS: A prospective, open-labelled, randomized controlled trial was performed in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of an academic hospital in Indonesia. Infants with a gestational age ≤ 32 weeks and/or birth weight of ≤ 1500 g with risk factors for fungal infection were assessed for eligibility and randomized to either an intervention group (nystatin) or control group. The intervention group received 1 ml of oral nystatin three times a day, and the control group received a dose of 1 ml of sterile water three times a day. The incidence of fungal colonization and SFI were observed and evaluated during the six-week study period. Overall mortality rates and nystatin-related adverse drug reactions during the study period were also documented. RESULTS: A total of 95 patients were enrolled. The incidence of fungal colonization was lower among infants in nystatin group compared to those in control group (29.8 and 56.3%, respectively; relative risk 0.559; 95% confidence interval 0.357-0.899; p-value = 0.009). There were five cases of SFI, all of which were found in the control group (p-value = 0.056). There was no difference in overall mortality between the two groups. No adverse drug reactions were noted during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Nystatin is effective and safe as an antifungal prophylactic medication in reducing colonization rates in the study population. Whilst the use of nystatin showed a potential protective effect against SFI among VLBW preterm infants, there was no statistical significant difference in SFI rates between groups. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03390374. Registered 4 January 2018 - Retrospectively registered.

Lack of a relationship between the serum concentration of aminoglycosides and ototoxicity in neonates.

INTRODUCTION: Gentamicin and the other aminoglycosides are toxic antibiotics, but they are urgently needed to treat newborns with neonatal sepsis. Aminoglycosides are well known for their nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity. The aminoglycoside dosage currently applied in Indonesia is derived from studies done in Caucasian populations. The safety and efficacy of this dosage regimen, however, has never been evaluated to date. The pharmacokinetic profile of drugs may vary between populations and this may be influenced by genetic factors, lifestyle, drug interactions, etc. The detection of aminoglycoside toxicity in newborns is usually problematic. The present study aims to know the proportion of ototoxicity in newborns in the Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital treated with gentamicin or amikacin in relation to their trough serum concentration. METHODS: The serum level of gentamicin and amikacin were quantified using Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MSMS), and is assumed to be safe if the trough serum concentrations are < 2 mcg/ml and effective if it is between 5 - 12 mcg/ml. For amikacin the desired trough serum concentrations are < 10 mcg/ml and the peak is between 20 - 30 mcg/ml. The hearing function was assessed by Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emission (DPOAE) instrument. This study is registered with the www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT01624324. CONCLUSION: Our study indicated that there was no relationship between aminoglycosides serum trough concentration and ototoxicity in neonates with neonatal sepsis.

Diagnostic Performance Analysis of the Point-of-Care Bilistick System in Identifying Severe Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia by a Multi-Country Approach.

IMPORTANCE: The real prevalence and clinical burden of severe neonatal jaundice are undefined due to difficulties in measuring total serum bilirubin (TSB) outside secondary and tertiary clinical centers. OBJECTIVE: To assess the diagnostic performance of the point-of care Bilistick System (BS) in identifying neonatal jaundice patients requiring treatment. DESIGN: Between April 2015 and November 2016, 1911 neonates, were recruited to participate in the study. Blood samples were simultaneously collected for the TSB determination by BS and by hospital laboratory (Lab). Data were collected and sent to the Bilimetrix headquarter in Trieste where statistical analysis was performed. Newborns with neonatal jaundice were treated with phototherapy according to each center's guidelines. SETTING: 17 hospitals from Nigeria, Egypt, Indonesia, and Viet Nam. PARTICIPANTS: 1911 newborns were included, of which 1458 (76·3%) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: TSB level measured by BS agreed (p < .0001) with the lab result in all four countries. The diagnostic performance of BS showed a positive predictive value (PPV) of 92·5% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 92·8%. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: BS is a reliable system to detect neonatal jaundice over a wide range of bilirubin levels. Since Bilistick is a point-of-care test, its use may provide appropriate and timely identification of jaundiced newborns requiring treatment.

Closed catheter access system implementation in reducing the bloodstream infection rate in low birth weight preterm infants.

BACKGROUND: Bloodstream infection (BSI) is one of the significant causes of morbidity and mortality encountered in a neonatal intensive care unit, especially in developing countries. Despite the implementation of infection control practices, such as strict hand hygiene, the BSI rate in our hospital is still high. The use of a closed catheter access system to reduce BSI related to intravascular catheter has hitherto never been evaluated in our hospital. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of closed catheter access system implementation in reducing the BSI rate in preterm neonates with low birth weight. METHODS: Randomized clinical trial was conducted on 60 low birth weight preterm infants hospitalized in the neonatal unit at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia from June to September 2013. Randomized subjects either received a closed or non-closed catheter access system. Subjects were monitored for 2 weeks for the development of BSI based on clinical signs, abnormal infection parameters, and blood culture. RESULTS: Closed catheter access system implementation gave a protective effect toward the occurrence of culture-proven BSI (relative risk 0.095, 95% CI 0.011-0.85, p = 0.026). Risk of culture-proven BSI in the control group was 10.545 (95% CI 1.227-90.662, p = 0.026). BSI occurred in 75% of neonates without risk factors of infection in the control group compared to none in the study group. CONCLUSION: The use of a closed catheter access system reduced the BSI in low birth weight preterm infants. Choosing the right device design, proper disinfection of device, and appropriate frequency of connector change should be done simultaneously.