Evaluation of a real-time fluorescent PCR assay for rapid detection of Group B Streptococci in neonatal blood.

Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus: GBS) is the major causative agent of neonatal sepsis. Neonates at risk for GBS infections are empirically administered broad-spectrum antibiotics for at least 48 h pending blood culture results. A rapid assay to expedite detection of GBS would facilitate initiation of specific antibiotic therapy.

High-frequency oscillatory ventilation versus conventional mechanical ventilation for very-low-birth-weight infants.

Background: The efficacy and safety of early high-frequency oscillatory ventilation as compared with conventional synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation for the treatment of infants with very low birth weight have not been established.

Methods: We conducted a randomized, multicenter clinical trial to determine whether infants treated with early high-frequency oscillatory ventilation were more likely than infants treated with synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation to be alive without requiring supplemental oxygen at 36 weeks of postmenstrual age. Eligible infants weighed 601 to 1200 g at birth, were less than four hours of age, had received one dose of surfactant, and required ventilation with a mean airway pressure of at least 6 cm of water and a fraction of inspired oxygen of at least 0.