SENSITIVITY AND RESISTANCE PATTERN OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS USED IN CASES OF NEONATAL SEPSIS AT A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE IN WESTERN INDIA

Purpose: Neonatal sepsis, a major killer among neonate, necessitates urgent implementation of empirical therapy and later specific antimicrobial therapy against causative microorganism. Empirical therapy relies upon data obtained from previous studies. We conducted this study to evaluate the blood culture, sensitivity and resistance pattern of various antimicrobial agents in neonatal sepsis at Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at a tertiary care hospital in western part of India, which will show us the changing pattern of etiological organism and antimicrobials needed to curb them. Methods: We conducted a prospective cross sectional study over a period of six month duration in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at tertiary care hospital.  We collected and analyzed the blood culture reports and sensitivity pattern of antimicrobials used. Results: We enrolled 163 patients of neonatal sepsis. Paediatricians sent 163 blood samples for culture of which 62 % culture were positive. Out of 101 positive cultures 70 % were Gram negative organisms. Most frequently encountered organisms were Klebsiella Pneumonia followed by Acinobacter species while least common was Coagulase Negative Staphylococci. Conclusion: Our world is facing a huge issue of development of resistance to antimicrobial agents by microorganisms. Irrational prescribing habits of physicians are leading to increasing morbidity, mortality and treatment costs. To prevent antimicrobial resistance, regular educational awareness programs should be conducted in hospitals at a regular basis. Also comparative studies in the same hospital over years will help us to generate proper antimicrobial policies ultimately leading to rationale drug therapy.