학술논문
Intersociety Position Statement on the Prevention of Ophthalmia Neonatorum in Italy
Document Type
article
Author
Chryssoula Tzialla; Cinzia Auriti; Salvatore Aversa; Daniele Merazzi; Stefano Martinelli; Gabriella Araimo; Luca Massenzi; Giacomo Cavallaro; Luigi Gagliardi; Mario Giuffrè; Fabio Mosca; Irene Cetin; Vito Trojano; Herbert Valensise; Nicola Colacurci; Luigi Orfeo; Vito Mondì; on behalf of their respective Scientific Societies
Source
Microorganisms, Vol 12, Iss 1, p 15 (2023)
Subject
Language
English
ISSN
2076-2607
Abstract
There is currently no worldwide agreement on the real need to administer conjunctival antibiotics to neonates at birth to prevent neonatal conjunctivitis (usually defined as ophthalmia neonatorum) by Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Therefore, there is wide variability in antibiotic administration, conditioned mainly by the social and health context. In Italy, a law enacted in 1940 required doctors and midwives to administer ophthalmic prophylaxis with 2% silver nitrate to all newborns at birth. This law was repealed in 1975 and since then there has been no clear guidance on the use of ophthalmia neonatorum prophylaxis at birth. Since neonatal conjunctivitis caused by C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae is not reported, we carried out a nationwide survey of 1,041,384 neonates across all Italian birth centers to evaluate the incidence of ophthalmia neonatorum and the current practice of prophylaxis. After analyzing the results, we formulated an intersociety position statement on the prevention of ophthalmia neonatorum to update and standardize this prevention strategy in Italy.