Clinical investigative profile of Neonatal septicemia and outcome at tertiary care teaching center

Abstract

Introduction: Neonatal sepsis remains a substantial cause of morbidity and mortality at a global level. Precise estimates of neonatal sepsis burden vary by setting. Its causative bacteria and their respective sensitivity patterns are different in each hospital and region. Septicemia indicates bacteria are present in the blood, producing an infection and reproducing within the bloodstream. Neonatal septicemia is defined as infection in the first 28 days of life. Material and Methods: This is a prospective and observational study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology, Tertiary care teaching hospital. Blood Samples from suspected patients of neonatal septicemia admitted in NICU of our hospital over a period of 1 year. All clinically suspected patients of neonatal septicemia admitted in NICU of our hospital. Result: Out of 138 cultures positive neonatal septicemia patients 76 (55.07%) were male and 62 (44.93%) were female. Out of 412 clinically suspected neonatal septicemia patients 138 (33.49%) were found culture positive. Out of 138 culture positive samples the Gram-negative bacteria were 94 (68.12%) and Gram-positive bacteria were 44 (31.88%) found. Klebsiella pneumoniais found to be most common isolate38 (27.54%) followed by Escherichia coli35 (25.36%) and Staphylococcus aureus 28 (20.29%). Conclusion: The clinical features of neonatal sepsis being non-specific, pose a great challenge for prompt diagnosis. Lethargy, refusal of feeds and apnoea were the most common clinical features in this study. Klebsiella was the predominant gram-negative organism and Staphylococcus aureus and CONS were the predominant gram-positive isolates from blood culture in EOS and LOS.