NEONATAL SEPSIS IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL: BACTERIOLOGICAL PROFILE AND ITS ANTIMICROBIAL SENSITIVITY.

Objective: To study the spectrum and antimicrobial sensitivity of bacterial pathogens causing neonatal sepsis, in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi. Study Design: Prospective cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: This was a prospective cross sectional study, conducted at NICU of Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, from Jul 2017 to Dec 2017. Material and Methods: All neonates admitted to our department who underwent evaluation for sepsis, from Jul 2017 to Dec 2017. Results: Out of 2,480 admitted neonates, 733 were suspected with sepsis, making an incidence of suspected neonatal sepsis to be 29.5%. 421 (57.4%) babies were suspected with early onset sepsis (EOS) and 312 (42.6%) with late onset sepsis (LOS). Majority of the babies (70.3%) were preterm. In 281 (11.3%) neonates, blood culture came out to be positive. 73/281 neonates with culture proven sepsis died making a mortality rate of 25.9%. Gram negative bacilli were most predominant among isolated bacteria. Most of the organisms showed resistance to the first line antibiotics. Conclusion: Sepsis has a high mortality rate in neonates admitted to our department. Gram negative organisms are the most common cause. Most of the isolated organisms are resistant to empirical antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]