Group B streptococcal septicemia of the newborn

Disease	Injury	Nutrition	Poison

Special Topic	Surgery	Symptoms	Test

Group B streptococcal septicemia of the newborn

Alternative Names:

Streptococcus agalactiae; Sepsis of the newborn; Lancefield group B streptococcus; Group B streptococcus

Symptoms:

unstable temperature (low or high)
poor feeding
appears unwell, stressed, or anxious
breathing difficulties
- grunting
- flaring of the nostrils
- rapid breathing (tachypnea)
- short periods without breathing (apneic episodes -- see apnea)
- blue appearance (cyanosis)
rapid heart rate (tachycardia) or extremely slow heart rate (bradycardia)
irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
lethargy
coma
shock

Signs and tests:

blood culture (grows group B strep)
CSF culture (cerebrospinal fluid - from a spinal tap)
urine culture (see urine collection - infants)
CBC (complete blood count)
chest X-ray (pneumonitis, pleural effusions)
blood gases
coagulation studies (see PT and PTT)

Review Date: 7/29/2002
Reviewed By: Adam Ratner, M.D., Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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