Abstract:

Clinical signs of infection during the neonatal period are often nonspecific and non-localized. For this reason, it is extremely difficult to control antibiotic use during the neonatal period. Most times indication for antibiotics therapy in this population is based only on clinical presentation. A significant number of infants are prescribed antibiotics based on the symptom of tachypnea alone. Of these infants, a significant number of are later diagnosed with a benign condition called Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn. The purpose of the study is to evaluate whether a complete health history delivered through health Information technology can potentially decrease unnecessary antibiotic use in the neonatal intensive care unit at the Victoria Hospital in Saint Lucia. The research was conducted by interviews. Physicians mentioned that a major challengethey face in determining infant risk factors for the development of bacterial infection is the availability of critical information on the maternal history as well as the event surround the birth and delivery of the neonate. Other factors such as reliability, efficiency and availability of lab investigation as well as unit policies and guidelines were identified as influential in their decision of whether to administer treatment to the infant or not. The results of the study concluded that physician agreed that information delivered via information technology would potentially guide health care providers in the decision on antibiotics use in the neonatal unit.

Keywords: Tachypnea, Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn, Antibiotics, Resistance

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