Treatment of Septicaemia in the Newborn Infant: Choice of Initial Antimicrobial Drugs and the Role of Exchange Transfusion

The therapeutic success of antibiotics used at the beginning of treatment and the effect of exchange transfusion in cases of septicaemia were tested in 22 newborn infants. The clinical course of these patients was compared with the outcome of 11 newborn infants who received antibiotic treatment without exchange transfusion. The following results were obtained: 1) All 6 patients initially receiving antibiotics, which were ineffective in vitro, died. In this group of patients the incidence of septic organ involvements (meningitis, ventriculitis, peritonitis) was significantly increased. 2) Following exchange transfusion, an impressive clinical improvement was consistently observed. 3) In patients who had initially received effective antibiotics and exchange transfusion, the lethality was significantly lower than in patients without exchange transfusion. 4) Our bacteriological findings show that continuous monitoring of cultures from blood, CSF and stool is necessary to choose the most effective antibiotic in the prevailing nosocomical circumstances.