Bacillus subtilis is a gram-positive bacillus, commonly found in the environment (also as an endospore) and in the human gut (in a carrier-state), being considered as a bacterium of minimal virulence. We present a rare case of late-onset neonatal sepsis with multiple positive blood cultures and isolation of B. subtilis as the causative pathogen.

IntroductionCOVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection. A major concern of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women is vertical maternal-fetal transmission and the ramifications on infant hearing. This retrospective study aims to investigate whether perinatal exposure to SARS-CoV-2 has an impact on the hearing of the offspring. MaterialsThe study population included neonates born to unvaccinated COVID-19 positive mothers in the University Hospital of Patras, Greece from March 2020 to January 2021. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests were performed on the neonates on the first, second, , and seventh day of life. All neonates underwent transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) within the first three months of life and were all examined at the age of nine months. ResultsThirty-two neonates (21 male) were born within the study period and all were transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Their mean (SD) gestational age was 36.9 (+2.23) weeks and their birth weight was 2,943 (+537) g. Nine of them were preterm and six of them had a low birth weight. Apgar scores calculated at 1' and 5', were in the normal range for 31 (97%) out of 32 neonates. One infant required urgent intubation at birth with an Apgar score of 1' 3 and 5' 4. Four neonates required mechanical ventilatory support, two neonates required nasal CPAP and eight neonates required supplementary oxygen. All infants were negative for TORCH infections.PCR tests were performed within the first day of life and repeated at 48 hours and on the seventh day of life. All PCR tests came back negative. Out of 32 neonates, seven failed the TEOAE test and were tested again a month later with a positive outcome. At nine months of follow-up, all 32 infants passed the TEOAE test. ConclusionIn conclusion, in our study, there was no evidence of vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from mothers infected during the third trimester or hearing impairment of the offspring.

Introduction The introduction of newborn hearing screening programs (NHSP) has drastically contributed to the early diagnosis of hearing loss (HL) in children, with the prospect of children developing speech as early as possible. This retrospective study aims to present and discuss the preliminary results of the NHSP at the University Hospital of Patras, Greece, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the program. The evaluation of the implementation of NHSP is important to confirm the effectiveness of the process and elaborate system failures. Materials The study describes the results of previous data collected from the NHSP in the Rio hospital of Patra and analyzed the conditions of the sample collected. The random sample involved newborns born between November 2018 - December 2020 at the University Hospital in Patra, Greece, which was assessed using transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs). Testing was performed twice per week on Thursday and Friday with a random sample, specifically examining the babies in the hospital these days. From the 2014 newborns assessed, 1491 were healthy neonates, while the other 523 required hospitalization in the neonatal unit. Results In total, there were 2014 live births; 1491 healthy neonates were screened with TEOAEs. Of them, 44 did not pass the first test. After retesting one month later, 31 passed the test, while the other 13 were referred to a hearing centre for further audiological testing with auditory brainstem response (ABR) tests. Two infants never showed up for the follow-up appointment. Of the remaining 11, six infants had normal hearing, three had otitis media with effusion or other conductive HL. The last two infants had HL. Specifically, one had bilateral sensorineural HL greater than 40db, and one had unilateral sensorineural HL greater than 40db. Risk factors were identified in 523 newborns admitted to the unit. The most common risk factors identified were the use of ototoxic drugs, low Apgar scores, and prematurity. Of all the newborns, 491 passed the test the first time, and the rest 32 infants came back 1-2 months after leaving the neonatal unit. All the babies who had failed in the first screening test appeared for the follow-up appointment for the second screening test. Of these, 24 babies passed the test, but eight did not. Of these, four were diagnosed with media otitis with effusion or other conductive HL. Sensorineural HL was identified in the last four babies using ABR tests. In detail, two had unilateral sensorineural HL greater than 40db, while two had bilateral sensorineural HL greater than 40db. Conclusion In conclusion, we found that for the NHS programs to be effective, they must be implemented long-term and have monetary support. Early diagnosis and cochlear implantation are the keys to excellent outcomes. Cooperation between different specialties and a patient-centred approach will help physicians holistically face neonatal HL. Building tr...