ObjectiveTo compare the management recommendations of the Kaiser Permanente neonatal early-onset sepsis risk calculator (SRC) with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline CG149 in infants ≥34 weeks’ gestation who developed early-onset sepsis (EOS).DesignRetrospective multicentre study.SettingFive maternity services in South West of England and Wales.Patients70 infants with EOS (<72 hours) confirmed on blood or cerebrospinal fluid culture.MethodsRetrospective virtual application of NICE and SRC through review of maternal and neonatal notes.Main outcome measureThe number of infants recommended antibiotics by 4 hours of birth.ResultsThe incidence of EOS ≥34 weeks was 0.5/1000 live births. Within 4 hours of birth, antibiotics were recommended for 39 infants (55.7%) with NICE, compared with 27 (38.6%) with SRC. The 12 infants advised early treatment by NICE but not SRC remained well, only one showing transient mild symptoms after 4 hours. Another four babies received antibiotics by 4 hours outside NICE and SRC guidance. The remaining 27 infants (38.6%) received antibiotics when symptomatic after 4 hours. Only one infant who was unwell from birth, died. Eighty-one per cent of all EOS infants were treated for clinical reasons rather than for risk factors alone.ConclusionWhile both tools were poor in identifying EOS within 4 hours, NICE was superior to SRC in identifying asymptomatic cases. Currently, four out of five EOS have symptoms at first identification, the majority of whom present within 24 hours of birth. Antibiotic stewardship programmes using SRC should include enhanced observation for infants currently treated within NICE guidance.

Background: Concussion symptoms typically resolve within 7–10 days, but 10–25% of patients do not fully recover. They can develop post-concussion syndrome (PCS), which includes sleep abnormalities such as obstructive sleep apnea. It is unclear how specific sleep problems manifest in PCS and how it relates to cognition and symptomology. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on PCS patients seen at the University Health Network (UHN) Concussion Clinic and sent for sleep study. Neuropsychology tests, concussion features, PCS symptoms, and demographics were abstracted from clinical charts. Sleep measures were abstracted from the overnight sleep study. Data were analyzed using chi-squared tests and linear regression. Results: Fifty-one patients completed the sleep study; 78% of these were diagnosed with sleep apnea. Patients with sleep apnea reported significantly more memory symptoms. A trend existed for higher total symptom number. Age was significantly different between the two groups. Women and men were equally at risk of being diagnosed with sleep apnea. Conclusions: Sleep apnea is common in PCS patients complaining of non-restorative sleep and/or waking up with headaches. Sleep apnea was associated with more memory symptoms. PCS patients are at higher risk for sleep apnea and sleep study should be considered if complaining of non-restorative sleep and/or waking up with headaches, regardless of sex and other known risk factors.

Prenatal infections can have adverse effects on an infant's hearing, speech, and language development. Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are two such infections that may lead to these complications, especially when left untreated. CMV is commonly associated with sensorineural hearing loss in children, and it can also be associated with anatomical abnormalities in the central nervous system responsible for speech, language, and intellectual acquisition. In terms of speech, language, and hearing, HIV is most associated with conductive and/or sensorineural hearing loss and expressive language deficits. Children born with these infections may benefit from cochlear implantation for severe to profound sensorineural hearing losses and/or speech therapy for speech/language deficits. CMV and HIV simultaneously present in infants has not been thoroughly studied, but one may hypothesize these speech, language, and hearing deficits to be present with potentially higher severity. Early identification of the infection in combination with early intervention strategies yields better results for these children than no identification or intervention. The purpose of this review was to investigate how congenital CMV and/or HIV may affect hearing, speech, and language development in children, and the importance of early identification for these populations.