Enterococci as pathogens of severe infections in newborn infants and young infants

: We report about severe perinatal infections caused by enterococci during a 5 year-period. Between January 1983 and December 1987 8 infants were treated in the Department of Neonatology of the Charite-Hospital, 5 of them died. In 4 of the infants this infection was of the early onset type and in 4 infants the infection had a late onset. The clinical course of the four infants with early onset type was very similar to that of infants with group-B-streptococcus disease. The increase of severe infections caused by enterococci in 1987 (7 cases) is unclear. One cause of the increase could be, that the chemotherapy of septicemia and meningitis in the Department of Neonatology of the Charite is the combination cefotiam and gentamicin or cefotaxime and gentamicin. Enterococci are resistant to all cephalosporins and a selection of these pathogens after this therapy is possible. In vitro and clinical experience has demonstrated, that a ampicillin-gentamicin combination constitutes effective therapy for enterococcal infection.