Multiple organ failure (MOF) is characterized by deterioration of more than one function from among respiratory, hepatic, renal, hematologic, and cardiac functions after sepsis, trauma, hypoxia, or other causes. This study included 88 newborn infants who had a history of delivery between 24-41 gestational weeks and were diagnosed with culture-positive sepsis at Başkent University Ankara and Adana hospitals from 2007 to 2011. Organ dysfunction, frequency of MOF, and the relation between MOF and causative microorganisms and mortality were investigated. Patients were divided into four groups according to the microorganism isolated in blood cultures. Twenty percent of newborns developed MOF after sepsis with a gram-positive bacterium except coagulase-negative staphylococcus. MOF frequencies were 36.8%, 100% and 20.8% for sepsis with gram-negative bacteria, fungus and coagulase-negative staphylococcus, respectively. Among these infection groups, statistically significant differences were observed between death rates, MOF development, cardiac, liver and hematologic failures, and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Mortality rates were not statistically significantly different between patients with and without MOF. Although sepsis and associated MOF is an important cause of morbidity and mortality during the neonatal period, in this study, MOF was observed most frequently in fungal sepsis, but this was not associated with a high mortality rate.

Keywords: yenidoğan, sepsis, multi-organ yetmezliği, mortalite.