Predominant bacterial agents of childhood septicaemia in Jos

Blood cultures were performed on 891 children (aged 1 month-16 years) who presented at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) with presumed diagnosis of septicaemia, over a three year period (January 1994-December 1996) in order to determine the predominant bacterial agents. One hundred and thirty-nine (15.6%) out of 891 blood cultures were positive. Five of the blood cultures yielded double isolates. Staph. aureus was the commonest bacterial agent isolated and accounted for 36.0%, of all the isolates. Klebsiella spp and Salmonella spp each accounted for 18.7% and 15.8% respectively. Other bacterial agents isolated included E. coli 7.9%, coliforms (untyped) 6.5%, Pseudomonas spp 3.6%, Proteus spp 2.2% and, miscellaneous organisms 9.3%. Ninety-six percent, 84.0% and 81.0% of Salmonella spp., Staph. aureus and Klebsiella spp. isolated were sensitive to gentamicin respectively. Forty percent of the Staph. aureus isolated was resistant to cloxacillin. Two (1.7%) of the Staph aureus isolated were resistant to all the antibiotics tested. With the exception of Pseudomonas spp (80.0% sensitive only to ceftazidime), sensitivity of most of the organisms to the third generation cephalosporins was generally excellent. It is concluded that gentamicin remains an effective drug in childhood septicaemi. Although the sensitivity to the third generation cephalosporins remains excellent, these drugs should be reserved for life-threatening cases and those that fail to respond to initial therapy with gentamicin.