Tag Archives: Sepsis

They really are CRAP! C-ReActive Protein: “Hazardous Waste”.

Posted on 17 February 2020 by Keith Barrington

I have railed against the use of C-Reactive Protein, CRP, on this blog previously, it was my analysis that the CRP is sensitive, but with very poor specificity, both for early-onset sepsis, and for late-onset sepsis. A new systematic review … Continue reading →

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Where does sepsis come from?

Posted on 25 November 2019 by Keith Barrington

One of the findings of the recent SIFT trial was that although the babies in the fast feeding group had shorter duration of parenteral nutrition, TPN, (and presumably of central lines), they did not have less late-onset sepsis, LOS. Why … Continue reading →

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RCTs prevail: Antibiotic impregnation of central lines doesn’t reduce sepsis.

Posted on 9 May 2019 by Keith Barrington

In older children and adults who need central venous access, using catheters impregnated with stuff that kills bugs decreases invasive sepsis rates. A multicentre trial in English PICUs showed a reduction in sepsis from 4% to 1% when antibiotic impregnated … Continue reading →

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Clinical evaluation vs Technology

Posted on 26 February 2019 by Keith Barrington

Two recent trials in adult ICU patients ask very interesting questions, questions which are only linked by testing something clinically simple versus a more technologically demanding evaluation. The first was comparing the use of serum lactate concentrations versus capillary filling … Continue reading →

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Prebiotics and preterms and probiotics.

Posted on 25 October 2018 by Keith Barrington

A selection of recent publications, regarding the issues in the title, that I find interesting and which seem to tell a consistent story. From Nick Embleton’s group the following interesting study (Stewart CJ, et al. Longitudinal development of the gut … Continue reading →

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Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation, does it make you feel like a DIC?

Posted on 4 April 2018 by Keith Barrington

Influenza is crap. Especially when you get it even though you have had the vaccine! The break in blog posts has been due to an assortment of viral illnesses, culminating in the “flu” and then followed by spring break, followed … Continue reading →

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Recent publications

Posted on 16 November 2017 by Keith Barrington

Even though the blog has been quiet recently, other academic output has continued… In the NICU we are often faced with babies with late- or early- onset sepsis. The worst cases develop shock, which carries a significant mortality; they may … Continue reading →

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Antibiotics are dangerous, unless you actually need them.

Posted on 3 October 2017 by Keith Barrington

In response to my previous post Claus Klingenberg wrote a comment in which he mentioned a recent systematic review that he had published with a group of colleagues. This review of a small number of RCTs (9) and a larger … Continue reading →

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A negative view of culture-negative sepsis

Posted on 27 September 2017 by Keith Barrington

I have now posted quite a few times about ways to reduce antibiotic use in the NICU, and in the term baby nursery. One thing that would help to reduce unnecessary usage is to abandon the idea that culture-negative sepsis … Continue reading →

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Using less antibiotics

Posted on 14 August 2017 by Keith Barrington

Most newborns who receive antibiotics are not infected. This is true of full term babies in normal newborn care, and preterms in the NICU. For most infants antibiotics can be stopped after 36 hours if cultures are negative at that … Continue reading →

Posted in Neonatal Research | Tagged , | 3 Comments