Final answer:
The management of a newborn with GBS infection involves confirming the diagnosis through CSF or blood cultures and treating with intravenous antibiotics such as penicillin or ampicillin plus gentamicin. High-risk infants, such as those born prematurely or to colonized mothers, require close monitoring. Preventive measures like treating colonized mothers during labor are essential.
Step-by-step explanation:
Management of Newborn with GBS Infection
The management of a newborn with Group B streptococcus (GBS) infection involves several critical factors. A newborn may contract GBS as an early onset disease, typically acquired during childbirth, or late-onset disease, which can occur from one week to three months after birth and may have sources other than the mother.
For an accurate diagnosis of neonatal meningitis, healthcare providers primarily rely on cultures of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or blood. Diagnostic tests include routine culture, antigen detection, serotyping, PCR, and RT-PCR. Once diagnosed, the standard treatment includes a combination of intravenous β-lactam antibiotics such as penicillin or ampicillin with gentamicin.
Newborns are particularly vulnerable to infections like GBS due to their still-developing immune systems. Infants born prematurely, or those whose mothers have genital tract colonization with S. agalactiae, are at a higher risk. Management strategies also include preventive measures such as administering intravenous antibiotics to the mother during labor if she is colonized with GBS.
Despite treatment, GBS infection carries a significant risk with approximately 10% mortality in infected neonates. Therefore, early identification and aggressive management of symptoms are crucial, and clinicians may initiate antibiotic therapy empirically while waiting for lab confirmations.