Prevalence of neonatal septicaemia in the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Nigeria

Abstract

A b s t r a c t B a c k g r o u n d : Septicaemia is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the neonatal period. Early detection of neonatal septicaemia is often hampered by its subtle and non-specific symptoms and signs thus a high index of suspicion is needed. Objectives: To determine the p r e v a l e n c e o f n e o n a t a l s e p t i c a e mi a , i d e n t i f y t h e predisposing factors, clinical fea-tures and causative organisms in the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. Methods: Four hundred and six neonates with clinical suspicion of sepsis were recruited into the study over a six months period. Blood culture was used as gold standard for the diagnosis of neo-natal septicaemia. Results: One hundred and sixty-nine (41.6%) neonates had positive blood culture giving a prevalence rate of neonatal septicaemia as 33.1%. The predominant predisposing factors were out-born delivery (68.0%), birth asphyxia (30.2%) and prematurity (21.4%) while the major clinical features of septicaemia were respiratory distress (30.2%), fever (26.6%) and poor suck (22.5%). Klebsiella p n e u m o n i a e (6 5 . 4 %) , Staphylococcus aureus (15.4%) and Escherichia coli (7.7%) were the commonest organisms isolated in neonates with septicaemia. Conclusion: Prevalence of blood culture-proven septicemia is high, being 33.1%. Klebsiella pneumo-niae is the predominant cause of neonatal septicaemia in Port Har-court.