PCR for the Detection of Pathogens in Neonatal Early Onset Sepsis

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2020 Jan 25

PMID 31978082

Citations 29

Authors

Clarissa Oeser

Marcus Pond

Philip Butcher

Alison Bedford Russell

Philipp Henneke

Ken Laing

Timothy Planche

Paul T Heath

Kathryn Harris

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: A large proportion of neonates are treated for presumed bacterial sepsis with broad spectrum antibiotics even though their blood cultures subsequently show no growth. This study aimed to investigate PCR-based methods to identify pathogens not detected by conventional culture.

Methods: Whole blood samples of 208 neonates with suspected early onset sepsis were tested using a panel of multiplexed bacterial PCRs targeting Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS), Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes (GAS), Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Ureaplasma parvum, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma hominis and Mycoplasma genitalium, a 16S rRNA gene broad-range PCR and a multiplexed PCR for Candida spp.

Results: Two-hundred and eight samples were processed. In five of those samples, organisms were detected by conventional culture; all of those were also identified by PCR. PCR detected bacteria in 91 (45%) of the 203 samples that did not show bacterial growth in culture. S. aureus, Enterobacteriaceae and S. pneumoniae were the most frequently detected pathogens. A higher bacterial load detected by PCR was correlated positively with the number of clinical signs at presentation.

Conclusion: Real-time PCR has the potential to be a valuable additional tool for the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis.

Citing Articles

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