How do you treat group B strep?

Answer 1

GBS infection needs to be treated promptly and aggressively: high doses of intravenous (through a vein) antibiotics should be given as soon as possible and antibiotic therapy shouldn't be stopped prematurely - intravenous antibiotic therapy should be continued for at least 10 days or 14 days if meningitis is present. Given this, the majority of babies with GBS infection can be treated successfully with penicillin, although some will require all the expertise of a neonatal intensive care unit (and sick babies may have to be transferred to a different hospital with specialised facilities).

Sadly, even with full intensive care, between 1 and 2 out of every 10 infected babies will die from their GBS infection (around 11% of babies from early-onset and around 8% from late-onset infection).

Before discharge, a full work up should be done for a baby who has recovered from GBS infection comprising:

• Full examination by paediatrician
• Review of clinical parameters
• FBC (full blood count) and differential
• CRP (C reactive protein)

If a baby develops GBS infection and is one of a multiple birth, then the same antibiotics should be given intravenously to the other baby/babies as a preventative measure, even if they appear well.

Research indicates that a baby who has recovered from a GBS infection is at low but slightly increased risk of re-infection (around 1- 3%). There is no established evidence to recommend any specific treatments to prevent recurrent GBS. A few practitioners may prescribe a daily penicillin dose for the baby for the first 3 months of life, in the belief that it may prevent GBS infection. There is no evidence to support this practice, although Penicillin given in this way has been shown to reduce the risk of infection with pneumococcus in individuals who have lost their spleens.