Abstract
Objective: to assess the usefulness of time to positivity (TTP) to distinguish between sepsis and contamination in coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) isolates.
Study design: unicentric retrospective observational. 168 patients with suspected sepsis and positive blood culture for CoNS were recruited. Patients were subdivided into sepsis (29%) and probable contamination (71%). Logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate different risk factors and clinical signs and symptoms associated with sepsis.
Results: TTP cut-off value that best discriminated sepsis from contamination was found to be 18 hours. Regression analysis revealed that TTP ≤18h, gestational age ≤32 weeks, taquicardia/bradicardia and hypoactivity/lethargy were independent predictors of sepsis.
Conclusion: usefulness of TTP to distinguish sepsis from contamination in isolation of CoNS, especially in neonates with other associated risk factors (lower gestational age or being a CVC carrier). The clinical signs that most increase the discriminatory power of TTP are the presence of tachycardia/bradycardia or hypoactivity.