Presenter Status
Fellow
Abstract Type
Clinical Research
Primary Mentor or Principal Investigator
Venkatesh Sampath
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
21-5-2026 11:00 AM
End Date
21-5-2026 12:00 PM
Abstract Text
Background:
Newborns, especially preterm infants, are highly susceptible to sepsis, a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Known risk factors include prematurity, low birth weight, prolonged Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) stay, and use of central venous catheters. The link between early nasal colonization (within the first week of life) and later invasive infections/sepsis is unclear. Although many NICUs screen for Staphylococcus aureus using nasal swabs, the incidence of early colonization by other Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and the impact of such colonization on hospital outcomes is not known. We addressed these key clinical questions in a single center study.
Objective:
The primary aim of this study is to quantify the burden of early nasal colonization by Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and identify the epidemiological risk factors associated with such classification. The secondary aim is to examine the relationship between initial nasal colonization and the development of subsequent infections caused by these organisms during NICU stay.
Methods / Design:
We conducted a retrospective chart review of infants admitted to our neonatal intensive care unit between 2018 and 2023. An IRB approval was obtained before starting chart reviews. A total of 3,248 newborns had surveillance nasal swabs collected within the first seven days of life. Of these, 1,124 infants had positive aerobic cultures on nasal swabs, which were processed for both gram-positive and gram-negative organisms. Maternal demographic and clinical data including age, race, infectious risk factors during pregnancy and labor, and perinatal variables such as gestational age, type of delivery, and duration of membrane rupture were extracted from medical records. Neonatal data collected included birth weight, sex, and other immediate postnatal characteristics. We are initially assessing the relationship between maternal and perinatal risk factors and colonization in 1124/3248 (34%) infants. We are also quantifying the rates of culture-confirmed sepsis (bacteremia, urosepsis, or meningitis) among those with and without early colonization and are analyzing the variables that associate with culture confirmed sepsis among the 1224 early colonized infants. Statistical analyses will include chi-square tests and logistic regression to explore associations between colonization, infection, and relevant risk factors such as prematurity and low birth weight.
This is a Trainee ongoing Project (TOP) abstract that I submitted and it got accepted. Data collection and analysis are done for this. Tables and figures will be available by the conference / the research days.
Epidemiology and Microbiology of Admission Surveillance Nasal Swabs in a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit(NICU) and Their Association with Subsequent Infections
Background:
Newborns, especially preterm infants, are highly susceptible to sepsis, a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Known risk factors include prematurity, low birth weight, prolonged Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) stay, and use of central venous catheters. The link between early nasal colonization (within the first week of life) and later invasive infections/sepsis is unclear. Although many NICUs screen for Staphylococcus aureus using nasal swabs, the incidence of early colonization by other Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and the impact of such colonization on hospital outcomes is not known. We addressed these key clinical questions in a single center study.
Objective:
The primary aim of this study is to quantify the burden of early nasal colonization by Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and identify the epidemiological risk factors associated with such classification. The secondary aim is to examine the relationship between initial nasal colonization and the development of subsequent infections caused by these organisms during NICU stay.
Methods / Design:
We conducted a retrospective chart review of infants admitted to our neonatal intensive care unit between 2018 and 2023. An IRB approval was obtained before starting chart reviews. A total of 3,248 newborns had surveillance nasal swabs collected within the first seven days of life. Of these, 1,124 infants had positive aerobic cultures on nasal swabs, which were processed for both gram-positive and gram-negative organisms. Maternal demographic and clinical data including age, race, infectious risk factors during pregnancy and labor, and perinatal variables such as gestational age, type of delivery, and duration of membrane rupture were extracted from medical records. Neonatal data collected included birth weight, sex, and other immediate postnatal characteristics. We are initially assessing the relationship between maternal and perinatal risk factors and colonization in 1124/3248 (34%) infants. We are also quantifying the rates of culture-confirmed sepsis (bacteremia, urosepsis, or meningitis) among those with and without early colonization and are analyzing the variables that associate with culture confirmed sepsis among the 1224 early colonized infants. Statistical analyses will include chi-square tests and logistic regression to explore associations between colonization, infection, and relevant risk factors such as prematurity and low birth weight.
This is a Trainee ongoing Project (TOP) abstract that I submitted and it got accepted. Data collection and analysis are done for this. Tables and figures will be available by the conference / the research days.
Comments
Poster Board Number: 11