Organ Dysfunction Varies Widely in Preterm Late-Onset Bacteremia

Background Information

Preterm infants show diverse organ dysfunction patterns during late-onset bacteremia.

Understanding organ dysfunction variability in preterm infants with late-onset bacteremia can enhance neonatal sepsis management beyond binary classifications. In 221 preterm infants, organ dysfunction showed substantial variability, with a median maximum Neonatal Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (nSOFA) score of 6 (IQR, 1-9) for Gram-negative and 3 (IQR, 0-9) for Gram-positive bacteremia. This study highlights the limitations of relying solely on binary microbiologic criteria, suggesting a need for more nuanced frameworks to assess neonatal sepsis outcomes effectively. Neonatal sepsis management benefits from understanding the heterogeneity in organ dysfunction beyond binary pathogen classifications.