Predicting neonatal sepsis in ventilated neonates.

OBJECTIVE To show the value of serial endotracheal aspirate culture in predicting organisms causing sepsis in ventilated neonates. METHODS We studied 100 newborns in Zeynep Kamil Maternity and Children's Training and Research Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Endotracheal aspirate and blood cultures were taken first on the third day and then once a week till extubation. RESULTS Blood and endotracheal cultures showed the same organism only in 17.6% of the patients. There was no relationship among 86.4% of the patients. The rate of culture positivity increased as the birth weight decreased, gestation week got smaller and the duration of intubation prolonged. CONCLUSION The antibiotherapy arranged according to the endotracheal aspirate cultures is not suitable for a possible sepsis agent. Moreover, resistant organisms may occur in hospitals if the antibiotics used unnecessarily.