Clinical and Bacteriological Characteristics of Neonatal Sepsis in an Intensive Care Unit in Kashan, Iran: A 2 Year Descriptive Study

Abstract

Background: Neonatal sepsis is a serious problem in neonatal intensive care units, as it causes high rates of morbidity and mortality. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate various etiologic agents, antimicrobial susceptibility, clinical manifestations and the mortality rate in an intensive care unit in Kashan, Iran. Patients and Methods: One hundred and four neonates with documented early onset sepsis in a 2 year period from 2006 to 2008 were enrolled in this descriptive study. The results of blood cultures and antimicrobial susceptibility and clinical manifestations and outcome were collected in questionnaires and subsequently analyzed. Results: We evaluated 104 cases including 63 (61%) males and 41 (39%) females. The most common clinical presentations were respiratory distress in 28 (26.9%), poor feeding in 18 (17.3%), lethargy in 15 (14.5%), fever in 15 (14.5%) and jaundice in 13 cases (12.5%). The most common organisms isolated from blood cultures were Flavobacterium (43.3%), Pseudomonas (17.3%) and coagulase positive Staphylococcus (17.3%). All Flavobacterium were resistant to Ampicillin and 100% were susceptible to Amikacin. Conclusions: The most common isolated organism from blood cultures was Flavobacterium. Water was causative source of Flavobacterium. Later on we found that an outbreak had occurred during our study and these results may not be seen in an ordinary situation.