Bacterial spectrum and antibiotics sensitivities in neonatal sepsis in tertiary care hospital in Pakistan

Abstract

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the culture and sensitivity pattern of organisms involved in neonatal sepsis in Pakistan and to explore the right direction towards evidence-based selection of antibiotics.

Study design: Cross sectional

Place and duration of study: This study was conducted at Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar where the culture and sensitivity reports of different body fluids including blood, urine and cerebrospinal fluid were analyzed from April 2019 to April 2020.

Materials and Methods: The descriptive study was carried out with 88 neonates (65.9% male; mean age = 12.70 days [SD = 9.427]; age range = 1-30 days). The common pathogens were identified and their antibiotics sensitivity patterns were also documented.

Results: Staph aureus was identified as the most common organism (56.8%), and found to be

sensitive, among 50 positive participants, out of which 28 were treated with azithromycin, 47

were treated with vancomycin, 49 with linezolid and 46 were given cefoxitin and fusidic acid.

It was followed by E. coli (15%) which was also sensitive to doxycycline, colistin and

Ertapenem while pseudomonas and klebsiella were least isolated with only 1% positive samples for each. In each case, the association was found to be statistically significant.

Conclusions: The culture and sensitivity pattern of organisms involved in neonatal sepsis shows that majority of participants were resistant to first line antibiotics and required a judicial use of 3^rd line antibiotics for effective treatment. Immediate responses should be mandated to use appropriate antibiotics for the isolated organism based on culture and sensitivity reports.

Keywords: sepsis, neonate, culture, sensitivity, antibiotics