CPS NICU Flashcards
Which infants are at highest risk of acquiring HSV?
Infants born to mothers who have a first-episode primary infection at the time of delivery since the mother had no pre-existing neutralizing antibodies to transmit to the baby through placenta-remember that most newly acquired cases are asymptomatic
What steps may reduce risk of neonatal HSV transmission during pregnancy or at time of delivery?
- Acyclovir from 36 wks GA until delivery (no clear evidence on whether this reduces risk)
- Delivery by elective C-section in woman with active HSV lesions at delivery
- Avoid procedures that may break baby’s skin: forceps, vaccuum, fetal scalp monitoring
What are the 3 categories of HSV infections?
- Disseminated
- Localized CNS
- Skin, eye and mucous membrane
When should HSV be considered as a diagnosis in neonates?
- General: Fever with irritability,
- CNS: seizures, or abnormal CSF fluid
- Labs: liver dysfunction,
**Remember that in most cases, there is
- no known history of maternal HSV and infant has
- no skin vesicles!
What is the dose of acyclovir for treatment of neonatal HSV? What is the duration of treatment?
Dose: 60 mg/kg/day or 20 mg/kg/dose IV q8hDuration:
- SEM: 14 days IV
- CNS/disseminated: 21 days minimum IV
(Oral ACV has limited bioavailability thus IV is required)
What is the definitive diagnostic test for non-CNS HSV?
Isolation of HSV by viral culture (from oropharynx, nasopharyn, skin lesions, mucous membranes)
What is the definitive diagnostic test for CNS HSV?
HSV PCR (more sensitive than culture)
Why is infant serology not useful for diagnosing neonatal HSV infection?
- Transplacental IgG antibodies cannot be differentiated from IgG produced by baby
- Production of antibodies is impaired in severely affected infants
- Commercially available assays for HSV IgM abs are of limited reliability
What are two side effects of acyclovir?
- Nephrotoxicity
- Neutropenia
What is the management of ocular HSV in neonates?
- IV acyclovir x 14 days
- Topical 1% trifluridine
- Ophtho consult
What follow-up should infants with neonatal HSV infections have?
Because of potential for neurological sequelae, f/u should include:
- Neurodevelopment
- Ophtho
- Audiology
When a diagnosis of neonatal HSV is suspected, what diagnostic investigations should be ordered? (3)
- Swabs of vesicular lesions and mucous membranes for culture or PCR
- Blood for HSV PCR may be tested if disseminated NHSV is suspected.
- CSF HSV PCR
- Liver enzymes to assess for disseminated HSV
When evaluating for neonatal HSV infection in exposed asymptomatic infants, what diagnostic investigation should be ordered? (1)
- Mucous membrane swabs from mouth, nasopharynx and conjunctivae at least 24 hrs after delivery (so that maternal HSV virus on baby’s skin from delivery has time to clear)
How long does it take for antibodies to HSV to develop following an infection?
Approximately 3 weeks
What is the management for an infant delivered by C-section before ROM to a mother with presumed first-episode primary or first-episode nonprimary HSV infection at delivery?
Risk of NHSV is very low.
If baby is well:
- Swab the baby’s mucous membranes at > 24 hrs of age (PCR and cultures). Also consider doing blood HSV PCR and CSF HSV PCR
- If swabs are negative OR while HSV tests are pending, the baby can be discharged home
- If swabs are positive, then the infant is managed as a case of neonatal HSV. Readmit for blood PCR and CSF PCR. (Some experts recommending doing CSF analysis as well). Decide of needs 14 or 21 dys of Rx
What is the management for an infant delivered by SVD or C-section after ROM to a mother with presumed first-episode primary or first-episode nonprimary HSV infection at time of delivery?
- Test mom for HSV-1 and HSV-2 antibodies to figure out if she has primary (no prior HSV antibodies), nonprimary (HSV antibodies present but to the other type of HSV), or recurrent (antibodies present)
- Swab baby’s mucous membranes (PCR and cultures) and start acyclovir (controversial whether to do this at birth with risk of surface contamination or at 24 hr of life)
- If swabs are positive, need to obtain CSF PCR to r/o CNS HSV
- If swabs are negative and mom’s serologies show she has recurrent HSV, then d/c acyclovir
- If swabs are negative and mom has primary HSV or serology testing is not available, baby needs acyclovir x 10 days
What is the management for an infant born by C-section to a mother with recurrent HSV at delivery?
- Swab mucous membranes (PCR and cultures) at 24 hrs of life and consider blood PCR
- If positive, treat as neonatal HSV
- If negative, d/c home
What is the management for an infant born by SVD to a mom with recurrent HSV at delivery?
- Swab mucous membranes at 24 hrs (PCR and cultures). Consisder blood PCR
- If positive, treat as neonatal HSV
- If negative, d/c home
**This is because baby is presumed to have HSV antibodies from transplacental transfer
What is the management of asymptomatic infants whose mothers have no active lesions at delivery?
(including women on ACV prophylaxis ? from 36 weeks)
- Does NOT need swabs or acyclovir therapy
- Infant whose mother has a hx of HSV but no active lesions at delivery should be observed for signs of HSV but does NOT require ACV therapy
- Mucous membrane swabs are not routinely recommended for this infants
- If there were clinical evidence of HSV documented during 3rd trimester or near delivery, could consider mucous membrane swabs.
- Educate re. signs and symptoms of HSV infection
Name 4 clinical scenarios in which you should consider neonatal HSV in the differential diagnosis?
- Infants started on IV antibiotics for suspected sepsis (especially infants with seizure or yielding abnormal CSF) who do not improve rapidly and have negative bacterial cultures at 24 hr incubation
- Infants admitted with pneumonia who do not improve after 24 hr on antibiotics
- Infants with unexplained bleeding or coagulopathy
- Infants started on IV antibiotics for suspected sepsis who are found to have unexplained hepatitis
What is the management of HSV CNS disease?
- IV acyclovir x 21 days minimum
- Repeat CSF sampling near the end of 21-day course of therapy: if PCR remains positive, treatment should be extended with weekly CSF sampling and acyclovir stopped when negative PCR is obtained
- Suppressive therapy oral acyclovir x 6 months should be given to infants with CNS disease (double-blind RCT showing benefit in neurodev outcome)
For infants on suppressive oral acyclovir treatment, what surveillance should they have?
Monthly CBC, BUN, Cr to rule out neutropenia and nephrotoxicity
What are 4 risks of RBC transfusion in neonates?
- Transfusion-transmitted infections
- Acute volume or electrolyte disturbances
- Blood group incompatibilities (often mistransfusion errors)
- Adverse effects of leukocytes
- GVHD
- transfusion related acute lung injury (TRALI)
- Alloimmunization
What is the combined risk of RBC contamination with viruses (Hep A, B, C, HIV)?
1 in 1-1.3 million



