MD** Author Disclosure

disclosed no financial relationships relevant to this article. This commentary does contain a discussion of an unapproved/ investigative use of a commercial product/ device. Educational Gaps 1. Distinction between definitions and subsequent management of true coagulase negative staphylococcus infections versus contamination or colonization needs to be established. 2. Evidence of the potential clinical impact (ie, neurodevelopmental outcome) of coagulase negative staphylococcus infections in the neonatal population is lacking and further study is needed. Coagulase negative staphylococci are increasingly common organisms isolated in the evaluation of neonates with sepsis. However, there is a lack of consensus on the definition of true infection and the criteria for treatment. This article presents clinically useful methods to distinguish true infection from contamination. Addi-tionally, we describe clinically relevant virulence factors contributing to the patho-genicity of various species. Knowing these virulence factors may help to stratify patient risk for serious infection. There are inconsistent data regarding the clinical importance of coagulase negative staphylococcal infections in the neonatal popula-tion. This inconsistency highlights the importance of establishing a consensus for the diagnosis and treatment of these infections in both the clinical and research arenas. Objectives After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Propose clinically useful definitions of true infection with coagulase negative staphylococcus. 2. Use definitions of coagulase negative staphylococcal infection as a guide for a more standard approach to diagnosis and treatment. 3. Describe the virulence factors of coagulase negative staphylococcus and their clinical importance in pathogenicity. 4. Highlight treatment and prevention strategies for coagulase negative staphylococcal infections