Blood Culture- Based Analysis of Neonatal Sepsis: Bacteriology and Antibiotic Resistance.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency of bacteriological profile and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of blood culture posi-tive neonatal sepsis in the NICU of PAF Hospital Sargodha.
Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the NICU of PAF Hospital Mushaf, Sargodha for a period of six months. A total of 110 neonates as per the inclusion criteria for neonatal sepsis and having positive blood cultures were included through non-probability consecutive sampling. Blood cultures obtained as per standard procedure to identify bacterial microbes and their sensitivity pattern were identified using microbiological and biochemical methods.
Results: Staphylococcus aureus was the most usually isolated pathogen (29.1%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (23.6%) and Escherichia coli (17.3%). Resistance to ampicillin (81.8%) and cefotaxime (67.3%) was seen at high levels. In comparison, meropenem (84.5%), vancomycin (81.8%), and amikacin (76.4%) showed higher sensitivity. Despite being less often isolated, coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) continue to play an important role in antibiotic-resistant illnesses.
Conclusion: Both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens play a key role in "neonatal sepsis," with developing re-sistance to routinely administered medications. Regular monitoring of bacterial patterns and antibiotic susceptibility pro-files is critical for guiding empirical therapy in the neonatal intensive care unit. In newborn care settings, it is critical to promote reasonable antibiotic use and strong infection control methods.
Key words: Neonatal sepsis, blood culture, antibiotic resistance, NICU, Staphylococcus aureus, antibiogram.