NEONATAL SEPSIS
Catriona Lyle
BVM&S MSc CertEM(IntMed) DipECEIM
Senior Lecturer in Equine Medicine
University of Pretoria
[email protected]
Definitions
Sepsis: the clinical syndrome resulting from the systemic inflammatory
response to a localised or systemic infection
Severe sepsis: sepsis complicated by organ dysfunction, in particular acute
circulatory failure that responds to volume resuscitation
Septic shock: severe sepsis with acute circulatory failure unresponsive to
volume resuscitation alone [1]
Aetiology
Sepsis may develop as a result of gram-negative, gram-positive or mixed
bacterial infections. Organisms commonly associated with neonatal sepsis in
foals are listed below.
Gram-negative
Ø Enterobacteriaceae
Ø E.coli
Ø Klebsiella spp.
Ø Enterobacter spp.
Ø Salmonella spp.
Ø Proteus spp.
Ø Actinobacillus spp.
Ø Pseudomonas spp.
Gram positive
Ø Streptococcus
spp.
Ø Enterococcus
spp.
Ø Staphylococcus
spp.
A recently published study from the USA suggests a trend towards an
increasing number of gram-positive infections associated with sepsis although
this may not be true across all geographical locations.[2]
Epidemiology
Risk factors
•
• Failure of passive transfer
• Weakness that results in delayed or inadequate nursing
• Premature lactation e.g. placentitis
• Poor quality colostrum
• Rejection of foal
• Barrier invasion by microbes
Skin trauma or wounds
15-‐18
February
2016
East
London
Convention
Centre,
East
London,
South
Africa
186