Outcomes of interventions in neonatal sepsis: A systematic review of qualitative research

Petek Eylul Taneri; Declan Devane; Jamie Kirkham; Eleanor Molloy; Mandy Daly; Aoife Branagan; Denise Suguitani; James L Wynn; Niranjan Kissoon; Kondwani Kawaza; Sinno H P Simons; Lívia Nagy Bonnard; Eric Giannoni; Tobias Strunk; Magdalena Ohaja; Kenneth Mugabe; Fiona Quirke; Kateregga Bazilio; Linda Biesty

doi:10.1002/ijgo.15725

Outcomes of interventions in neonatal sepsis: A systematic review of qualitative research

Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2024 Nov;167(2):547-555. doi: 10.1002/ijgo.15725. Epub 2024 Jun 6.

Authors

Petek Eylul Taneri^{1

2}, Declan Devane^{1

2

3}, Jamie Kirkham⁴, Eleanor Molloy^{5

6

7}, Mandy Daly⁸, Aoife Branagan^{5

6}, Denise Suguitani⁹, James L Wynn¹⁰, Niranjan Kissoon¹¹, Kondwani Kawaza¹², Sinno H P Simons¹³, Lívia Nagy Bonnard¹⁴, Eric Giannoni¹⁵, Tobias Strunk¹⁶, Magdalena Ohaja², Kenneth Mugabe¹⁷, Fiona Quirke¹, Kateregga Bazilio¹⁸, Linda Biesty^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ HRB-Trials Methodology Research Network, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland.
² School of Nursing & Midwifery, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland.
³ Evidence Synthesis Ireland & Cochrane Ireland, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland.
⁴ Centre for Biostatistics, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
⁵ Department of Neonatology, Coombe Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
⁶ Department of Paediatrics and Child Health &Trinity Research in Childhood Centre (TRiCC), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
⁷ Neonatology, Children's Health Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
⁸ Advocacy and Policymaking, Irish Neonatal Health Alliance, Bray, Ireland.
⁹ Brazilian Parents of Preemies' Association, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
¹⁰ Department of Paediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
¹¹ Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
¹² Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi.
¹³ Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care, Erasmus UMC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
¹⁴ Patient Advocacy, Melletted a helyem Egyesület, Budapest, Hungary.
¹⁵ Clinic of Neonatology, Department Mother-Woman-Child, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
¹⁶ Neonatal Directorate, Child and Adolescent Health Service; Wesfarmers' Centre for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
¹⁷ Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, Busitema University Faculty of Health Sciences, Mbale, Uganda.
¹⁸ Preterm Infant Parents Network Uganda, Kampala, Uganda.

PMID: 38842248
DOI: 10.1002/ijgo.15725

Abstract

Background: While a systematic review exists detailing neonatal sepsis outcomes from clinical trials, there remains an absence of a qualitative systematic review capturing the perspectives of key stakeholders.

Objectives: Our aim is to identify outcomes from qualitative research on any intervention to prevent or improve the outcomes of neonatal sepsis that are important to parents, other family members, healthcare providers, policymakers, and researchers as a part of the development of a core outcome set (COS) for neonatal sepsis.

Search strategy: A literature search was carried out using MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycInfo databases.

Selection criteria: Publications describing qualitative data relating to neonatal sepsis outcomes were included.

Data collection and analysis: Drawing on the concepts of thematic synthesis, texts related to outcomes were coded and grouped. These outcomes were then mapped to the domain headings of an existing model.

Main results: Out of 6777 records screened, six studies were included. Overall, 19 outcomes were extracted from the included studies. The most frequently reported outcomes were those in the domains related to parents, healthcare workers and individual organ systemas such as gastrointestinal system. The remaining outcomes were classified under the headings of general outcomes, miscellaneous outcomes, survival, and infection.

Conclusions: The outcomes identified in this review are different from those reported in neonatal sepsis clinical trials, thus highlighting the importance of incorporating qualitative studies into COS development to encapsulate all relevant stakeholders' perspectives.

Keywords: core outcome set; infant; infectous disease; neonatal sepsis; newborn; qualitative research; qualitative systematic review.

Publication types

Systematic Review
Review

MeSH terms

Health Personnel
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Neonatal Sepsis* / therapy
Outcome Assessment, Health Care
Parents / psychology
Qualitative Research*

Grants and funding

CTN-2021-007/HRBI_/Health Research Board/Ireland