Uso Profiláctica de Antibióticos en Cateterismo Umbilical en Recién Nacidos

Antibiotic prophylaxis after umbilical vein catheterizationTwenty nine term newborns were studied at a Regional Hospital in Southern Chile to test the prophylactic value of antibiotics in infants undergoing blood exchange procedures by umbilical catheterlsm.Patients were asigned into two different groups, with or without antibiotic prophylaxis respectively.Complete blood counts and blood cultures were done in the third day after the procedure on both groups.There were 5 positive blood cultures among 15 newborns receiving antibiotics and 5 among 14 newborns managed without drugs.In retrospect and because no clinical nor hemathological evidence of infection was found in those patients, positive blood cultures were considered contaminated.It is concluded that in our experience the prophylactic use of antibiotics in term newborns undergoing umbilical catheterism is not useful in the prevention of secondary infections.