A 4-day-old infant girl now showing signs of sepsis is brought to the emergency department. She was preterm (33 weeks) and born at home to her 16-year-old mom after 22 hours of labor following the rupture of the membranes. A friend helped the mother deliver the baby. What is the best description for the agent most likely causing the sepsis if it was acquired during labor but prior to delivery? All organisms in the answer choices are Gram-positive, catalasenegative cocci found in pairs or short chains.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If the mother is young and has had multiple sexual partners, she is more likely to be colonized with Group B streptococci. If the labor is prolonged after rupture of the membranes, the baby is more likely to be infected. And, since she delivered before her due date and had her baby at home, she was not screened for Group B streptococci and did not receive intrapartum antibiotics to prevent infection of the baby. The other descriptions belong to: (A) Enterococcus, (B) Strep. pneumoniae, and (D) Viridans strep.

A 4-Day-Old Infant Girl Now Showing Signs of Sepsis Is