Neonatal Sepsis. Up-dating diagnostic criteria

Abstract

If a disease had to be named as the most characteristic of those treated in Intensive Care Units, the most frequent cause of death in non-coronary Units, the most prevalent disease, and possibly the main workhorse of intensive medicine contemporary, that would be sepsis. Sepsis is already considered the epidemic of the 21st century, and is defined as a re-emerging disease. Despite the advances made in its diagnosis and treatment, neonatal infectious disease continues to be one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in this period of life (especially in the premature newborn). For this reason, we are motivated to search the Medline database for articles published in the 2000s with the aim of updating our criteria used to define neonatal sepsis. 65 articles with a Spanish and North American predominance were reviewed. Despite the disparity of criteria around the subject, we show the current consensus, which is the basis for newborn care as well as research in this field at an international level.