Bacteriological profile and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of neonatal septicemia in a tertiary care hospital

ABSTRACT Background: Among the various reasons for neonatal mortality, septicemia continues to be a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Incidence varies from country to country, but it is much higher in developing countries than in developed countries. In India, the incidence of blood culture-proven sepsis was reported as 8.5 per 1000 live births. The bacteriological profile for causative organisms of neonatal sepsis differs significantly between developed and developing countries. Klebsiella pneumoniae is the most common bacterial agent in developing countries. This study was undertaken to determine the common bacterial agents causing neonatal sepsis from the tertiary care hospital and their antibiotic susceptibility and resistance. Methods: About 150 blood samples of suspected cases of neonatal septicemia admitted in NICU. Bacterial identification and speciation were done by standard laboratory procedures. Isolates and susceptibility were performed on Automation system. Results: Ninety-one babies presented within the first 72 h of life constituting early-onset sepsis, whereas 59 presented as late-onset sepsis. Among the 150 samples, blood culture was positive in 47 samples. Out of 47 culture-positive cases, 27 (58%) were Gram-negative bacilli, 18 (38%) were Gram-positive cocci, and two (4%) were fungal isolate. K. pneumoniae was the most commonly isolated Gram-negative bacilli. Conclusion: Neonatal septicemia is a life-threatening emergency and rapid treatment with antibiotics is mandatory for favorable outcomes. There is also a need for regular periodic surveillance of the causative organisms of neonatal sepsis as well as their antibiotic susceptibility patterns to inform the choice of empirical antibiotic prescription while awaiting blood culture results.