Current aetiology of neonatal sepsis in Jos University Teaching Hospital

Periodic bacteriologic surveillance in neonatal units is a necessity.

To determine the currently prevalent pathogens of neonatal sepsis in the Special Care Baby Unit of Jos University Teaching Hospital, and their antibiotic susceptibility profiles.

One hundred and twenty two neonates with clinical suspicion of sepsis underwent bacteriologic screening over a 4 month period.

One hundred and fourteen bacteria were isolated from 66 (54.1%) of the infants. Forty two (36.8%) isolates were gram positive (predominantly Staphylococcus aureus), while 72 (63.2%) were gram negative (predominantly Escherichia coli). Gentamicin was most useful antibiotic, though effective against only 67% of both gram positive and gram negative bacteria. The susceptibilities of both gram positive and gram negative bacteria to the third generation cephalosporins were particularly poor (less than 10%).

Our data show a change in the predominant gram negative bacterial pathogen compared with an earlier report from our unit, and an alarming overall decline in the susceptibilities of both gram positive and gram negative pathogens to the commonly used antibiotics.