OBJECTIVES: To identify the bacterial isolates and study their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern in neonates admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of EMBABA General hospital, Giza, Egypt with suspected sepsis.

METHODS: During the period from January 2017 to December 2017, blood samples were collected from neonates with suspected sepsis. Selection was based on the signs and symptoms including fever, feeding refusal, respiratory distress, cyanosis, tachycardia, and seizures. Samples were submitted to the microbiology laboratory for culture and sensitivity testing, using a standard microbiologic method.

RESULTS: Out of the total 385 blood samples received in the microbiology laboratory for culture and sensitivity, bacterial growth was observed in 85 (22.1%) of the samples. The gram positive and gram negative organisms represented 42.4% and 57.6% of the total respectively. The predominant bacterial isolate was Klebsiella spp (42.4%) followed by Staphylococcus epidermidis (36.5%). Among the tested samples and antibiotics, Staphylococcus epidermidis was sensitive to vancomycin and linezolid the most, followed by rifampicin as evidenced by the percentage of samples that were sensitive which was 100%, 100%, and 82.8% respectively. However, it was resistant to commonly used antibiotics like ampicillin/sulbactam and gentamicin, with sensitivity percentage of only 50% and 27.3% respectively. Similarly, Klebsiella spp was sensitive to chloramphenicol the most, followed by tienam and levofloxacin, as evidenced by sensitivity percentage of 85%, 80%, and 80% respectively. However, it was resistant to ampicillin/sulbactam and gentamicin, with sensitivity percentage of only 0% and 16% respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: Each institution is recommended to periodically identify its own neonatal sepsis-causing bacteria and their antibiotic sensitivity pattern rather than relying on general guidelines