
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Group B streptococcal infection differential diagnosis
Introduction
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Overview
Overview
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection causes a wide variety of clinical presentations depending on the type of the affected subjects; therefore, the differential diagnosis of GBS infection varies based on the age of the patient and their health condition. Early-onset GBS infection in neonates might lead to pneumonia, meningitis, or sepsis and it must be differentiated from other types of infectious agents in this category of patients.
Differential Diagnosis
Differential Diagnosis
Sepsis and Pneumonia in Neonates
The differential diagnosis for early-onset GBS neonatal pneumonia or sepsis includes infection with any of the following:
- Escherichia coli (E.coli)
- Klebsiella
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Haemophilus influenza
- Herpes virus
- Candida
- Listeria (less commonly)
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis (less commonly)
The differential diagnosis for late-onset GBS neonatal pneumonia or sepsis includes infection with any of the following:
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Streptococcus pyogenes
- Viruses (adenovirus, enteroviruses, influenza, parainfluenza, rhinovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus)
- Candida (less commonly)
- Chlamydia trachomatis
Meningitis in Infants
Shown below is a table summarizing the different pathogens that can cause meningitis in infants.[1]
| Age | Possible pathogens causing the bacterial meningitis |
| < 1 month | |
| 1-23 months |
References
References
- ↑ Tunkel AR, Hartman BJ, Kaplan SL, Kaufman BA, Roos KL, Scheld WM; et al. (2004). “Practice guidelines for the management of bacterial meningitis”. Clin Infect Dis. 39 (9): 1267–84. doi:10.1086/425368. PMID 15494903.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Rim Halaby, M.D. [2]
