PATTERN OF BACTERIOLOGICAL PROFILE AND ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY AMONG BLOOD CULTURE POSITIVE NEONATAL SEPSIS IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Background: Neonatal sepsis (NS) is among the most prevalent and potentially fatal conditions. Given the current surge in antimicrobial resistance, a thorough understanding of prevalent bacterial illnesses and their pattern of drug susceptibility is crucial. Objectives: To study the pattern of bacteriological profile and antibiotic susceptibility among blood culture-positive neonatal sepsis cases in a Tertiary care hospital. Methods: A Retrospective study was planned from Jan-Dec, 2023. All neonatal sepsis cases with positive blood culture from NICU admission were included, and neonates with multiple congenital malformations were excluded. A predetermined questionnaire was used to collect neonatal delivery details and the culture report. Results: Out of 1014 suspected cases, 194 were positive blood culture with 7.2% early onset sepsis and 92.7% late onset. NS was common in term deliveries with male predominance (72.2%) and in very low birth weight (53.6%). The most frequent causative organisms were gram positive among (65%), CoNS, 96(75.5%) was the predominant organism, followed by MRSA, 16(12.5%). Gram-negative isolates were seen in 67(34%), Klebsiella species-23(34%) is the most common cause, followed by Citrobacter-8(11.9%). Multi-drug-resistant organisms were seen in 21(10.8%) cases, was due to MRSA. The Gram-Positive organisms were mostly sensitive to Linezolid, Tigecycline and resistant to Benzylpenicillin and Oxacillin. The Gram-Negative organisms were mostly sensitive to Tigecycline and Cotrimoxazole and resistant to Ceftriaxone and Cefepime. Conclusion: CoNS, Klebsiella species, and MRSA are the major causative organism of neonatal sepsis. Understanding the antibiotic susceptibility will help in strengthening antibiotic stewardship and save neonates.