Abstract

Background: Despite significant advancement in neonatal intensive care, the incidence of late-onset neonatal sepsis (LONS) remains a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. The causative organisms and their susceptibility to antibiotics vary in different regions; which forms a basis in the selection of empiric antibiotic in suspected cases of sepsis.

Aims and Objectives: To determine the drug sensitivity pattern of the commonly isolated pathogens in LONS.

Materials and Methods: This study was done after obtaining approval from the Institutional Human Ethical Committee of JJM Medical College Davangere. The blood culture sensitivity data of all neonates admitted and treated as cases of LONS over a period of 2 years (December 2013 to December 2015) at the neonatal intensive care unit of Bapuji Hospital were studied retrospectively.

Results: A total of 212 neonates admitted were suspected cases of LONS. 51.88% of them were blood culture positive, with 78.18% of the isolated organisms being Gram-positive and 24 (21.81%) Gram-negative. The most frequently isolated organism was coagulase-negative Staphylococcus aureus (78.18%) followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (10.9%). 71.25% of these organisms showed resistance to ampicillin, and 56.25% showed resistance to gentamicin which is the World Health Organization recommended an empirical choice of antibiotics.

Conclusion: Our study has shown an increasing trend of resistance to the commonly prescribed first-line empiric antibiotics such as ampicillin and gentamicin. Hence, periodic surveillance of antibiotic susceptibility is of prime importance to choose the right empiric antibiotic.

Key words: Neonatal Sepsis; Empiric Antibiotics; Antibiotic Sensitivity Pattern