Neonatal Enterovirus: A Case Report in a Term Infant Requiring Air Evacuation

Abstract

Enterovirus infections in neonates have the potential to cause a cascade of devastating clinical complications that can lead to death. Because of vague maternal symptom presentations, the diagnosis may not be obvious to antepartum adult providers. Clinicians evaluating infants in the newborn nursery and following initial hospital discharge must be alert for this potential infection. Common newborn issues, such as hyperbilirubinemia and weight loss, may be early signs of a more life-threatening diagnosis. Enterovirus infections may be responsible for a continuum of critical diagnoses in the neonate. Utilization of viral panels during the initial rule-out sepsis evaluation may provide rapid diagnosis and, ultimately, earlier response times to devastating clinical symptoms. Antepartum history and presenting features of enteroviral infections warrant rapid diagnosis with viral polymerase chain reaction detection panels to potentially reduce antibiotic usage and inpatient length of stay. The purpose of this case report is to review risk factors, presentation, and management of neonatal enterovirus infections. As this infant was born in a remote setting and required air evacuation, the logistics of this transport are also discussed.