Sepsis neonatal cervicomaxilofacial (1996 a 2005)

a retrospective and longitudinal study of cervicomaxillofacial sepsis in the neonates admitted in our intensive care unit in a period of 10 years was conducted. an average incidence of 1.20 per 100 admissions, as well as the predominance of white female infants aged 7-27 days old (late sepsis) were observed. facial cellulitis was caused by obstetric trauma and it was the most frequent diagnosis. no relation between the presence of sepsis and gestational age, apgar score, or birth weight, was found, since in most of the children these results were within the normal limits. the most used treatment was the antibiotic therapy with the association of 2 or more antibiotics. the combination of penicillin and gentamicin was the most common treatment. in those cases, among whom the sepsis had a very severe systemic repercussion, immunoglobulin therapy was also applied. the evolution was satisfactory in 100 % of the cases, most of whom had to be admitted for 7 days. no deaths were reported.