Neonatal Sepsis in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital: A 4 - Year Blood Culture - Based Analysis of Etiology, Resistance Patterns, and Preterm–Term Risk Factors
OE Onwe, CK Ojide, AM Efunshile, SO Ebede, OI Onyekachi, CB Ene, WC Akpa, OK Nwakpu, NC Idakari, G EmelobeBackground:
Neonatal sepsis continues to be a significant cause of illness and death among neonates in developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where antimicrobial resistance complicates management.
Aim:
The aim of the study is to determine the prevalence, bacterial etiologies, susceptibility patterns, and associated risk factors of laboratory-confirmed neonatal sepsis in a tertiary hospital in south-eastern Nigeria.
Methods:
This retrospective observational study reviewed medical and laboratory databases of neonates admitted between January 2021 and December 2024. The blood culture method was BacT/ALERT system. Isolates were identified, and antibiotics sensitivity testing was done using standard methods. Data were analyzed using SPSS v25, and strength of associations tested by binary logistic regression at a significance level of
Results:
A total of 331 neonatal sepsis cases had blood cultures done and 105 (31.7%) had positive cultures. Early-onset sepsis accounted for 79% of cases, and 54.3% occurred in preterm neonates. Gram-negative isolates (51.4%) slightly predominated Gram-positives (48.6%). The leading pathogens were
Conclusion:
Neonatal sepsis in this setting is common, with