Validating the performance of 3 sepsis screening tools in patients with clinical chorioamnionitis.

Background: Maternal sepsis is a leading cause of maternal death in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of maternal deaths because of sepsis are related to delayed recognition or treatment. New early warning systems using a 2-step approach have been developed for the early recognition of sepsis in obstetrics; however, their performance has not been validated.

A Retrospective Review of Neonatal Sepsis among GBS-Colonized Women Undergoing Planned Cesarean Section after Labor Onset or Rupture of Membranes.

Background: Sepsis is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in neonates, with group B streptococcus (GBS) remaining the most frequent pathogen isolated from term infants. Surveillance data showed that the majority of cases of early-onset GBS disease were neonates born to women who either received no or suboptimal intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis with a notable portion of those women having a missed opportunity to receive ≥4 hours of chemoprophylaxis. Women planning delivery by cesarean section who present in labor or rupture of membranes prior to their scheduled surgery are unlikely to receive optimal GBS chemoprophylaxis and thus their neonates are at risk of having sepsis.