The prevalence of bacteriuria among high risk neonates in Nigeria

Among the 446 high risk neonates studied for significant bacteriuria and pyuria in the neonatal wards of the Obafemi Awolowo University teaching hospital Complex, Ile-Ife, 7.6% and 5.8% were positive for significant bacteriuria and pyuria respectively, while none of the 81 infants in the control group were positive. Males and females were similarly affected and there was no seasonal variation in the prevalence of pyuria or bacteriuria. It is noteworthy that 25 (96%) of the 26 pyuria neonates also had bacteriuria emphazising the significance of pyuria as a possible screening method for urinary tract infections in neonates. The clinical problems in the neonates studied included prematurity, low birthweight, neonatal jaundice, fever, CNS symptoms, ophthalmia neonatorum, prolonged rupture of the membranes (PROM), respiratory distress, septic cord/skin, diarrhoea, vomiting and feeding problems. Only prematurity and low birthweight were significantly associated with bacteriuria in the neonates studied. The organisms encountered in this study were Escherichia coli (58.4%), Klebsiella species (35.3%) and Proteus species (5.9%). Of the bacterial isolates, 67% were sensitive to Ampicillin and 97% to Gentamycin. The combination of these antibiotics was effective in all cases in the present study. The study has highlighted the need for routine urine culture in our high risk neonates.