BACTERIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF NEONATAL SEPSIS IN IBADAN

Abstract

Neonatal Sepsis (NNS) has always been a major cause of morbidity and
mortality around the world and especially in the developing countries. The clinical
presentation in early cases is not definite making early diagnosis difficult. The pattern
of aetiological agents of neonatal septicaemia changes from time to time even in the
same hospital, and it is therefore necessary for a regular bacteriological surveillance of
neonatal units so as to be aware of the common pathogens that are currently involved
and the pattern of susceptibility to the available antibiotics. This study was carried out
to determine the current bacteriological pathogens of neonatal sepsis in Ibadan and
their antibiotic sensitivity pattern. It was also to characterize one of the isolated agents.
It was a prospective study done over a period of six months. One hundred and
thirty seven blood culture samples were collected from all neonates with suspected
neonatal sepsis in community based hospitals and University College Hospital (UCH),
all in Ibadan. The bio-data for the patients such as age, sex, type of infection were
obtained. The samples were processed in the Medical microbiology laboratory of
UCH Ibadan. Plasmid extraction and analysis was done for some of the organisms at
the National Institute for Medical Research Laboratories (NIMR) in Lagos.
The prevalence rate of NNS was found to be 41.6%, though it varies between
hospitals.
The commonest organisms causing NNS were Staphylococcus aureus and
Klebsiella spp. All the organisms isolated showed a high sensitivity to quinolones and
the third generation cephalosporins.

BACTERIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF NEONATAL SEPSIS IN IBADAN