Screening and Testing for GBS
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) Diagnosis All pregnant women should be screened for GBS between 35 to 37 weeks of pregnancy. This involves taking swabs from the vagina and rectum to check for the presence of GBS bacteria. The swabs are then cultured in a laboratory to see if GBS is present or not.
If GBS is detected on the screening culture, the woman is considered GBS positive. If no GBS is found, she is considered GBS negative. Being GBS positive puts the newborn at risk of early-onset GBS disease in the first week of life.
Reasons for Screening
Screening is recommended for all pregnant women as GBS colonization status can change during pregnancy. A woman who previously tested negative could become positive later on. GBS screening helps identify women who need antibiotics during labor to prevent GBS infection in their newborn.
Without screening and antibiotics if needed, 1 in 200 babies may develop early-onset GBS infection. The infection can cause life-threatening conditions like sepsis, pneumonia and meningitis in newborns. Screening aims to detect GBS carriers so appropriate preventive measures can be taken to safeguard the baby.
Risk Factors for GBS Colonization
While any woman can be GBS positive, certain factors increase the risk:
– Having GBS bacteriuria (GBS in the urine) during the current pregnancy
– GBS bacteriuria during a previous pregnancy
– Having given birth to a previous baby with invasive GBS disease
– Preterm delivery or preterm premature rupture of membranes in the current pregnancy
– Intrapartum fever
– Prolonged rupture of membranes (>18 hours)
Women with such risk factors are often treated empirically with antibiotics in labor without relying on a screening test result.
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) diagnosis Infection in Newborns
If a newborn develops signs of infection like fever, difficulty breathing, lethargy or poor feeding within the first week, diagnostic tests are done to check for GBS. These include:
– Blood culture: A blood sample is taken and cultured to look for GBS bacteria.
– Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture: Spinal fluid is tested if there is suspicion of meningitis.
– Urine culture: Urine may harbor GBS in cases of sepsis or urinary tract infection.
Other supportive tests include complete blood count to check for an elevated white blood cell count and C-reactive protein levels. A lumbar puncture may also be done to analyze CSF if meningitis is suspected. Imaging tests like X-rays and ultrasound can detect pneumonia and other complications.
Treatment of GBS Infection
All newborns diagnosed with early-onset GBS disease through testing receive intravenous antibiotics. The most commonly used antibiotics are ampicillin, gentamicin or cefotaxime based on antibiotic susceptibility patterns. Treatment usually lasts for 7-10 days depending on the site of infection and severity of illness.
Supportive care involving oxygen therapy, assisted ventilation, fluid administration and management of complications forms an important part of treatment. Most newborns respond well to prompt medical management and make a full recovery without long-term issues. But delayed diagnosis or treatment can lead to permanent disabilities, brain damage or even death in rare cases.
Long Term Prognosis
With early detection and appropriate antibiotics, 9 out of 10 newborns survive GBS infection. Some may have temporary impairments like hearing loss that resolve over time. Rare long-term outcomes can include developmental delays, cerebral palsy or intellectual disability resulting from severe GBS meningitis.
Regular follow-up assessments after hospital discharge are important to monitor growth, development and check for any lingering effects of GBS disease. Most babies however resume normal development with no ongoing issues following therapy and supportive care provided during the initial treatment phase in the hospital NICU.
Routine prenatal screening coupled with antibiotics in labor for carriers helps reduce the risks of newborn GBS disease remarkably. Prompt Group B Streptococcus (GBS) Diagnosis and tailored antibiotic treatment also improves outcomes in infected babies. Along with preventive strategies during pregnancy and delivery, constant monitoring after birth can ensure newborns receive timely care to avert long-term disabilities from GBS.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it