Gastric fluid cultures of neonates

Abstract number: 1135_111

Ikonomopoulou E., Grammenou P., Nikolopoulou A., Papadopoulos K., Stavrianou E., Petropoulou D., Regli A.

Objectives:  

To estimate the type of microorganisms that are usually isolated from gastric fluid cultures of neonates, as soon as possible after their birth in order to determine the potentially pathogenic microorganisms that colonize the neonate during its passage from genital channel.

Methods:  

We analysed retrospectively the neonates’ gastric fluid cultures that turned to positive during the 2003 and first half-year period of 2004. The reception of gastric fluid usually followed immediately birth. The identification and sensitivity test against antimicrobial agents was performed by the Vitek system (Biomerieux).

Results:  

230 neonates’ gastric fluid cultures turned to positive during the 2003 and first half-year period of 2004. Microorganisms that isolated were: 95 Coag negative Staphylococci (41%), 72 E. coli (31%), 16 Klebsiella pneumoniae (7%), 14 Enterococcus faecalis (6%), 8 S.aureus (3.5%), 6 Streptococcus bovis (2.5%), 6 Streptococcus agalactiae (2.5%), 4 Serratia marcescens , 4 Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 5 Candida spp. All Coag negative Staphylococci strains were sensitive to Vancomycin but only 62.1% were sensitive to Oxacillin. E. coli strains were 66.7% sensitive to Ampicillin and there were not ESBL positive strains.

Conclusions:  

Gastric fluid culture of neonates is a useful method to determine the microorganisms that colonized the neonate during birth.