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Universal Screening for Group B Strep: Success with Room for Improvement

• Universal Screening for Group B Strep: Success with Room for Improvement

Universal Screening for Group B Strep: Success with Room for Improvement

AP Oppenheimer, 19 Jun 2009 1:55 PM EST

Competing interests: None declared

Improvement has been remarkable so far, but to make it jump higher, policy decisions need to be made. The situation has parallels with neo- natal tetanus programs, where mothers need to be vaccinated to avoid disease in their newborns, an idea that is well accepted by mothers. Prophylaxis is also an idea well accepted generally. Test results cannot be relied upon given the high rate of false negatives and the stakes are way too high for newborns not to treat the mothers. Delivery is a very emotional, physical, fast paced moment that can explain missing the test if complications have arisen or the birth is too eminent. One way to really improve the numbers, and the decrease prevalence of newborn GBS is to treat all mothers independent of the test, which would basically eliminate screening and include the prophylactic antibiotic as one of the first steps in the delivery protocol. A thorough antibiotic allergy history would be even more important to obtain to avoid allergic reactions and anaphylaxis.

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