NICE publishes updated neonatal infection guideline

Neonatal Infection: Antibiotics for Prevention and Treatment aims to reduce delays in recognising and treating infection and prevent unnecessary use of antibiotics. The guideline covers preventing bacterial infection in healthy babies of up to and including 28 days corrected gestational age, treating pregnant women whose unborn baby is at risk of infection, and caring for babies of up to and including 28 days corrected gestational age with a suspected or confirmed bacterial infection.

This guideline includes new and updated recommendations on:

• preventing early-onset neonatal infection before birth

• risk factors for and clinical indicators of possible early-onset and late-onset neonatal infection

• investigations before starting antibiotics in babies who may have early-onset and late-onset infection

• antibiotics for late-onset neonatal infection

• duration of antibiotic treatment for late-onset neonatal infection

• antifungals to prevent fungal infection during antibiotic treatment for late-onset neonatal infection

• early- and late-onset meningitis in babies in neonatal units

• antibiotics for suspected early-onset infection

• duration of antibiotic treatment for early-onset neonatal infection

• avoiding routine use of antibiotics in babies

• therapeutic drug monitoring for babies receiving gentamicin.

The guideline can be found at: www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng195