6533b82bfe1ef96bd128d937

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Serratia marcescens infection or hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy in neonates: Is magnetic resonance imaging a problem-solving tool?

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To the Editor: We read with great interest the retrospective case series by A Madide and J Smith,[1] describing brain ultrasound (US) findings of neonates with Serratia marcescens hospital-acquired infections. S. marcescens is a Gram-negative organism that frequently colonises neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). This bacterium can cause severe brain infections in neonates, with irreversible neurological damage and long-term neurodevelopmental impairment. The authors conclude that in babies with acute onset of the illness, US scans allow doctors to highlight pathological changes in the brain immediately before the microbiological diagnosis of infection, and to follow the evolution of those lesions. We are in complete agreement with their comments regarding the importance of accurate and timely diagnosis: early treatment, to minimise the bacterial load, seems to have a great impact on outcome. Moreover, it is important to underline that transfontanellar US scans remain the first-line modality of imaging because of their safety, low cost and especially because of their wide availability.[2]