Application of HAS 2017 guidelines for asymptomatic neonates born at ≥34 weeks' gestation at risk of early-onset neonatal sepsis in a level-2 maternity department

The 2017 Haute Autorité de santé (HAS) guidelines for the medical care of neonates born at≥34 weeks' gestation (WG) at risk of early-onset neonatal sepsis (EONS) placed emphasis on clinical examination rather than laboratory tests.

AIM

Were these guidelines relevant in our level-2 maternity department, and how can they affect our professional practice?

METHODS

Single-site observational study of asymptomatic 35 WG neonates at risk of EONS, born in the centre hospitalier de Bigorre, with follow-up analysis during two 5-month periods (from September 2017 to January 2018, and September 2018 to January 2019), before and after the publication of the HAS guidelines. The main objective was feasibility, evaluated by checking the completion of a standardised assessment chart. The second objective was the impact of the guidelines on professional practices evaluated by the number of laboratory tests carried out during the two periods.

RESULTS

Out of 455 births during the first period and the 396 births during the second, 78 (17,1%) and 50 (12,6%) newborns, respectively, at risk of EONS were included. Those two groups had statistically similar characteristics. Overall, 49 (98%) assessment charts were satisfactorily completed for the 50 newborns. The number of laboratory tests decreased significantly (P<0.01): During the first period, all the newborns (78, 100%) had a C-reactive protein (CRP) test and 66 (84,6%) had a gastric fluid culture, versus one (2%) CRP and three (6%) gastric fluid cultures during the second period.

CONCLUSION

The HAS guidelines, emphasising repeated clinical assessment of newborns at risk of EONS rather than laboratory, were considered to be feasible in our maternity department. They led to an improvement in our professional practices and a reduction in laboratory procedures.

Mechanisms of action of intravenous immunoglobulin in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases

Therapeutic polyclonal intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) consists of normal IgG obtained from the pools of plasma of several thousand healthy blood donors. IVIg is used as substitutive treatment of primary and secondary immunodeficiences. Since the first study of Paul Imbach who demonstrated the beneficial effect in idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, IVIg is also used in a number of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The immunoregulatory effects of IVIg in autoimmune diseases depend on the interaction of Fc portion of immunoglobulins with Fc receptors and on the selection of lymphocyte repertoires of patients through variable regions of infused immunoglobulins. IVIg modulates the activation and effector functions of B and T lymphocytes, neutralizes pathogenic autoantibodies, interferes with antigen presentation and has a strong anti-inflammatory effect which depends on its interaction with the complement system, cytokines and endothelial cells. The immunomodulatory potential of IVIg in patients is thus a result of a variety of complex mechanisms that act in a synergy.