Background: Early-onset sepsis (EOS) is a culture-proven invasive infection that occurs in the first 72 hours of life. The pathogenesis is primarily ascending colonization by normal maternal gastrointestinal and genitourinary tract bacterial flora. Group B Streptococcus and Escherichia Coli are the most common bacteria involved. Physical examination and laboratory tests are often inaccurate for diagnosis.

Universal screening led to an increase in the number of infants exposed to intrapartum antibiotics. This increased percentage raises concern for the development of antimicrobial resistant pathogens and increased incidence of EOS resulting from Gram-negative species.
Purpose: the goal is to conduct a review of the evidence on the effects of implementing the Kaiser Neonatal Sepsis Risk Calculator.

Methods: bibliographic review by the PubMed platform, performing the search with the terms “early onset sepsis or neonatal sepsis”, “risk calculator or calculator”, “Kaiser”, “serial physical examinations”.

Discussion: Implementation of Kaiser EOS calculator protocol reduced the proportion of neonates exposed to antibiotics, decreased the number of painful procedures, promoted family bonding and reduced the number of infants requiring transfer to the NICU. Physicians should understand what it does, its limitations, and its results. No strategy can provide perfect case ascertainment, and the most optimal strategy remains undetermined.

Keywords:  Early onset sepsis, sepsis calculator, antibiotics, newborn.