ArticleBMJ paediatrics open2020
Antibiotic prescribing in neonatal sepsis: an Australian nationwide survey.
Article in BMJ paediatrics open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 25 citations in OpenAlex.
- Discontinuation of empirical antibiotics in suspected neonatal early-onset sepsis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Pediatric research · 2026Pooled it
- Diagnostic challenges and Gram-negative pathogen dominance in early- and late-onset neonatal infection in Manila, Philippines.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Antimicrobials for neonates: evaluation and prescribing practices in Australian neonatal units.BMC pediatrics · 2026Article
- Antimicrobial stewardship from a One Health perspective.Nature reviews. Microbiology · 2026Review
- Negative Healthcare Impacts of Management of Presumed Early-Onset Sepsis in Moderate to Late Preterm Infants on Feeding, Jaundice, and Hospital Length of Stay.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- A Quantitative Examination and Comparison of the Ability of Australian Gentamicin Dosing Guidelines to Achieve Target Therapeutic Concentrations in Neonates.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Evaluation of whole blood CD64 for identifying infection in neonates receiving hospital care.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Article
- Ototoxic and nephrotoxic drugs in neonatal intensive care units: results of a Spanish and Italian survey.European journal of pediatrics · 2024Article
- Intestinal persistence of Bifidobacterium infantis is determined by interaction of host genetics and antibiotic exposure.The ISME journal · 2024Article
- Article
- Neonatal Staphylococcus Aureus Sepsis: a 20-year Western Australian experience.Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association · 2022Article
- The feasibility and generalizability of assessing the appropriateness of antimicrobial prescribing in hospitals: a review of the Australian National Antimicrobial Prescribing Survey.JAC-antimicrobial resistance · 2022Review
- Neonatal ICU antibiotic use trends within an integrated delivery network.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2022Article
- Variations in Antibiotic Use and Sepsis Management in Neonatal Intensive Care Units: A European Survey.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
- Increasing use of linezolid in a tertiary NICU during a 10-year period: reasons and concerns for the future.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo evaluate quality and variation in antibiotic prescribing for neonatal sepsis.
designWe analysed prescribing in hospitalised neonates using the National Antimicrobial Prescribing Survey in Australian neonates from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2018.
settingData from antibiotic point prevalence surveys performed in hospitals, ranging from rural hospitals to tertiary paediatric and maternity hospitals within Australia. PATIENTS: Admitted neonates <28 days of age from participating hospitals.
main outcome measuresVariation and appropriateness in prescribing for neonatal sepsis and variation in dosing for gentamicin and benzylpenicillin across hospitals.
resultsA total of 415 prescriptions among 214 neonates from 39 different hospitals were included. The majority of prescriptions (342, 82.4%) were for neonates <7 days of age. The most commonly prescribed antibiotics were gentamicin and benzylpenicillin, with 323 (77.8%) prescriptions. Dosing variability was substantial, with doses ranging from 2 to 8 mg/kg for gentamicin (median 5 mg/kg, IQR 4-5) and from 45 to 72 mg/kg for benzylpenicillin (median 60 mg/kg, IQR 50-60), although only 13 (3.2%) and 19 (4.6%) prescriptions were locally assessed as inappropriate or non-compliant with guidelines, respectively. At time of audit, 22% of antibiotics had been given for more than 48 hours and 9% more than 72 hours, although microbiologically confirmed infection was documented in only nine (4.2%) neonates.
conclusionsPrescribing for neonatal sepsis was dominated by use of benzylpenicillin and gentamicin with substantial variation in dosing. A small minority had culture-confirmed infection. Efforts to standardise antibiotic dosing and duration for suspected neonatal sepsis are recommended.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.