Incidence, Etiology and Risk Factors Associated with Neonatal Healthcare-Associated Conjunctivitis: A Prospective Study from a Tertiary Care Hospital in India.

INTRODUCTION

Healthcare-associated conjunctivitis (HAC) can lead to serious sequelae including blindness. We conducted a one-year prospective study to determine the epidemiology of neonatal HAC at a tertiary-care hospital in India.

METHODS

From the neonates fulfilling a set of predefined inclusion criteria, cases of HAC were diagnosed based on CDC guidelines. Conjunctival swabs, obtained from neonates with suggestive clinical signs, were processed using standard protocols. Twenty-eight potential risk factors were analyzed.

RESULTS

We detected 24 cases of HAC among 591 enrolled neonates, with Escherichia coli being the most frequently isolated microorganism. On multivariate analysis, intubation at birth (p = 0.046) and orogastric feeding (p = 0.029) had a statistically significant association with neonatal HAC. Average hospitalization increased from 9.6 to 20.8 days for neonates diagnosed with HAC.

CONCLUSION

A standardized case-definition and physician awareness of potential serious sequelae would help improve detection rates and timely institution of therapy. Hand hygiene could help control the menace of neonatal HAC.