Epidemiology, microbiological profile, and outcome of culture positive sepsis among outborn neonates at a tertiary hospital in Northern India

Abstract

Aims and objectives

To study the epidemiology, microbiological profile, and outcome of culture positive sepsis among outborn neonates at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Northern India.

Materials and methods

Neonates (n = 406) with blood culture positive sepsis were enrolled prospectively over a period of 1 year (February 2018–January 2019). Demographic details, clinical features, microbiological profile, antibiotic sensitivity pattern, treatment, and outcome were recorded.

Results

The mean (±SD) age at presentation was 2.4 (±0.6) days and 2/3rd were males. The mean (±SD) gestation was 35.5 (±3.4) weeks, birth weight was 2215 (±219) g, and 42.4% were preterm. The proportion of neonates with early and late onset sepsis were 69% and 31%, respectively. Predominant isolates were Gram-negative (46.5%), Gram-positive (27.6%) organisms, and yeast (25.9%). Klebsiella pneumoniae (46.5%), Acinetobacter baumannii (17.5%), and Escherichia coli (8%) were common Gram-negative; and coagulase negative Staphylococcus (CONS) (70%), Staphylococcus aureus (13.4%), and Enterococcus (12.5%) were common Gram-positive organisms. Among Gram-negative organisms, the antibiotic sensitivity pattern was ciprofloxacin 45%, cephalosporins 15–40%, aminoglycosides 20–42%, piperacillin–tazobactam 49%, carbapenems 34–51%, tetracyclines 55–70%, doxycycline 55%, chloramphenicol 42%, and colistin 98%; and among Gram-positive organisms were methicillin 30%, clindamycin 52%, vancomycin 100%, teicoplanin 98%, and linezolid 99%. The survival rate was 60.3%. The neonates with Gram-negative sepsis had higher requirement of oxygen, mechanical ventilation, and vasoactive drugs; had more complications; and lower survival (50.3% vs. 72.3%, p= .003) when compared to Gram-positive sepsis.

Conclusions

Gram-negative organisms were commonest cause of neonatal sepsis, had low sensitivity to commonly used antibiotics, and associated with poor outcome.

Keywords:

• Out-born neonates
• antimicrobial resistance
• Acinetobacter
• Klebsiella
• Staphylococcus

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).