Summary
Definition
History and exam
Other diagnostic factors
- fever
- diarrhea and abdominal pain
- generalized malaise
- flu-like symptoms in pregnancy
- poor feeding (neonates)
- meningismus
- cranial nerve deficits
- cerebellar signs
- focal neurologic signs
- seizures
- hypotension
- intrapartum fever
- bleeding diathesis with hemorrhage
- cardiac murmur
Risk factors
- exposure to contaminated food
- age >45-50 years
- pregnancy
- neonates
- immunocompromised states
- impaired stomach acidification
Diagnostic investigations
1st investigations to order
- CBC
- urine pregnancy test
- blood cultures
- brain MRI
- brain CT
- cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis
Investigations to consider
- prothrombin time (PT) and PTT
- D-dimer
- placenta and amniotic fluid culture
- cervical swab culture
- meconium Gram stain and culture
- Listeria serology
- food analysis
- stool culture
- other stool analyses
- electroencephalogram
- echocardiography
Treatment algorithm
Contributors
Authors
Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer
Glasgow University
Consultant in Acute and General Medicine
Monklands Hospital
NHS Lanarkshire
Scotland
Disclosures
PMK declares that he has no competing interests.
Professor
Infectious Diseases Division
Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School
Boston
MA
Disclosures
EM is an author of several references cited in this topic. He has also received grant support from T2 Biosystems, Astellas Pharma, and Boehringer Ingelheim. In addition, he is a member of Astellas Pharma.
Peer reviewers
Professor of Medicine and Community Health
Brown University
Providence
RI
Disclosures
JDR declares that he has no competing interests.
Professor
Infection and Immunity
Consultant Microbiologist
Bacteriology Dept
Southern General Hospital
Glasgow
UK
Disclosures
AL declares that he has no competing interests.
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