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Clinical Considerations
Clinical Recognition. Neonatal sepsis presents within the first 4 weeks of life
with symptoms ranging from simply poor feeding to frank respiratory distress
and cardiovascular collapse ( Table 96.7 ). Hypothermia from inability to
maintain body temperature often occurs in babies with sepsis. Symptoms and
signs can be very nonspecific and sepsis should be considered as a differential
diagnosis in any symptomatic newborn. Neonatal sepsis can mimic any disease of
the newborn, including cardiac (cardiogenic shock from closure of a patent
ductus in ductal-dependent lesions), respiratory, endocrine, and metabolic
conditions. Viral and systemic fungal infections can have the same signs and
symptoms as bacterial sepsis.