PURPOSE: To identify the frequency of bacterial isolates in early-onset neonatal sepsis (EONS) and their antimicrobial resistance pattern. METHODS: A retrospective study of EONS was conducted at the Beni Suef University Hospital from September 2008 to September 2012. A case of EONS was defined as an infant who had clinical signs of infection or who was born to a mother with risk factors for infection, and in whom blood culture obtained within 72 hours of life grew a bacterial pathogen. RESULTS: Of 673 neonates screened, there were 138 positive blood cultures (20.5%) (confirmed EONS). Of the recovered isolates, 86.2% were gram-negative pathogens. Klebsiella pneumoniae (42.8%), Enterobacter cloacae (22.5%), and Escherichia coli (13.8%) were the commonest isolated organisms. The most common gram-positive microorganism was Staphylococcus aureus accounting for only 12 isolates (8.7%). All Klebsiella isolates and 93% of Enterobacter isolates were resistant to ampicillin. Gram-negative pathogens had the maximum overall sensitivity to imipenem, cefepime, and ciprofloxacin; whereas, gram-positive isolates were most susceptible to vancomycin, imipenem, and piperacillin. CONCLUSION: K. pneumoniae was the predominant causative bacteria of EONS followed by E. cloacae and E. coli. There was a high resistance to ampicillin. Imipenem had the maximum overall activity against the causative bacteria. Continuous surveillance is needed to monitor the changing epidemiology of pathogens and antibiotic sensitivity.
Accounting ; Ampicillin ; Bacteria ; Cephalosporins ; Cloaca ; Drug Resistance ; Drug Resistance, Microbial ; Enterobacter ; Enterobacter cloacae ; Escherichia coli ; Humans ; Imipenem ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Klebsiella ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; Mothers ; Organothiophosphorus Compounds ; Pneumonia ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sepsis ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Vancomycin

PURPOSE: Sepsis is a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis is a major problem because of the lack of specific clinical signs. Therefore, a reliable diagnostic marker is needed to guide the use of antimicrobial agents. The objective of our study was to assess the value of proadrenomedullin (pro-ADM) in establishing the diagnosis and evaluating the prognosis of neonatal sepsis. METHODS: This study enrolled 60 newborn infants with sepsis proven with positive blood cultures and 30 healthy neonates. Complete blood count, C-reactive protein levels, and pro-ADM levels were obtained from all neonates. RESULTS: The pro-ADM levels were significantly higher (14.39±0.75 nmol/L) in the sepsis group than in the control group (3.12±0.23 nmol/L). The optimal cutoff value for pro-ADM was 4.3 nmol/L, with a sensitivity of 93.3% and a specificity of 86.7%. The pro-ADM levels were also higher in nonsurvivors (P=0.001). CONCLUSION: Pro-ADM can be used as a reliable biomarker for neonatal sepsis. High pro-ADM levels were associated with mortality and could be an early indicator of disease outcome.
Anti-Infective Agents ; Blood Cell Count ; C-Reactive Protein ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Mortality ; Prognosis ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sepsis*