Managing Neonatal Sepsis in Newborns

​Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva is a pediatric physician at Detroit’s Children's Hospital of Michigan with more than 30 years of clinical experience and degrees in law and medicine. As a pediatric critical care faculty physician in many children's hospitals and pediatric clinics within adult healthcare systems, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva is responsible for providing crucial care to children suffering from neonatal sepsis.

Sepsis is a potentially fatal medical illness induced by the body's immune reaction to bacterial infections, characterized by abnormalities in many pathobiological processes that may result in broad tissue injury. In infants, sepsis may cause body swelling, organ failure, and death. Risk factors include birth canal and amniotic fluid infection, premature birth, and low birth weight.

Early detection and quick treatment of neonatal sepsis are vital to reduce its risks and prevent mortality in high-risk patients. In newborns, sepsis diagnosis may include conducting blood and urine tests, skin swabs, and a spinal tap procedure to test for meningitis.

After diagnosis, a pediatrician may treat the patient by administering antibiotics, blood pressure or heart medications, or intravenous injections of fluids and electrolytes, or putting a patient on a ventilator for respiratory support, if necessary. Pediatricians can also manage severe sepsis through early initiation of inotropes, frequent reassessment of at-risk patients, and supportive care.

Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva

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