INCIDENCE AND ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY PATTERN OF NEONATAL SEPTICAEMIA FROM TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL OF INDIA

Septicemia is a clinical syndrome characterized by fever, malaise, tachycardia, hyperventilation and toxicity or prostration, which results when circulating bacteria multiply at a rate that exceeds removal by phagocytes. "Failure to thrive" may indicate chronic septicemia in infants. Neonatal sepsis is an important cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. In India, nearly one fourth of half of neo-natal deaths is due to neonatal septicemia. The study was approved by the Institute Ethical committee and conducted between January 2006 to December 2007. Fifty infants with clinically suspected neonatal septicaemia were included in the present study. An incidence of clinically suspected septicaemia with positive blood cultures, their bacteriological profile and sensitivity pattern were studied. Study reveals elevated incidence of neonatal septicaemia in our hospital. To reduce comprehensive neonatal mortality, strategies of proven value such as hand hygiene, barrier nursing, and constraint use of antibiotic have to be implanted.