Abstract

SHIMABUKU, Roberto, VELASQUEZ, Pablo, YABAR, Janet et al. Neonatal infections etiology and antimicrobial sensitivity. An. Fac. med., Mar. 2004, vol.65, no.1, p.19-24. ISSN 1025-5583.

Objective: To determine the most frequent bacteria causing infection in hospitalized newborns, and their antimicrobial sensitivity. Material and Methods: Review of the clinical files of Neonatology Division, Children’s Health Institute (Lima, Peru) and identification of the positive cultures and antibiograms from June 1999 until May 2002. Results: During this three year period there were 94 patients with confirmed sepsis from whom 161 samples were obtained (blood, urine, IV catheters, and others ). The most frequently isolated bacteria were: Staphylococcus epidermidis (38,3%), Staphylococcus aureus (12%), Klebsiella sp (10%), Alcaligenes fecalis (4,6%), Acinetobacter sp (4%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4%). S. epidermidis showed 100% sensitivity to vancomycin, 90% to cefotaxime, 50% to amikacin and ampicillin and 37% to oxacillin. Klebsiella showed 100% sensitivity to ciprofloxacin and imipenem, 44% to ceftriaxone, 20% to ceftazidime and 14% to ampicillin; bacterial resistance to amikacin was 100%. S. aureus showed 100% sensitivity to vancomycin, 57% to cefotaxime and 33% to oxacillin. Conclusions: Gram positive bacteria are the most frequent cause of neonatal sepsis. In vitro, 50% of the most frequent bacteria showed resistance to ampicillin and amikacin. The Staphylococcus species showed greater in vitro sensitivity to vancomycin.

Keywords: Sepsis; drug resistance, microbial; infant newborn; gram-positive bacterial infections.