Infections
A massive effort to test pregnant women for a deadly germ they can spread to their babies has found a high rate of wrong test results that led some infants to miss out on treatment.
A study found the test missed more of the infections than would be expected. If the mothers had tested positive for the Group B strep bacteria, they would have been given antibiotics during labor to cut the chances of infecting their infants. The bacteria is common and harmless in adults but can in rare cases in newborns lead to blood infections, pneumonia, meningitis, mental retardation and death.
The study, published in today's New England Journal of Medicine and led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is the first large national study of the program. The CDC is planning follow-up research to determine the cause.
Doug
CDIstaffing.com