1408 Epidemiology of Early-Onset Sepsis in a Nicu During a 12-Year Period (1996-2007)

Abstract

Aim: To determine the incidence and the causative pathogens of early-onset sepsis (EOS ≤ 3^rd day of life).

Patients-Methods: We prospectively studied the perinatal and neonatal characteristics of all neonates who were born in our perinatal center and were treated in our department, as well as all neonates admitted in our tertiary NICU from the area of Macedonia and Thessaly, during the period 1996-2007. Neonates with positive blood culture were further studied according to the time of the 1^st sepsis episode and causative pathogen isolated.

Results: During the study period, 9113 neonates were admitted to the NICU. Of them, EOS had 229 (2.5%) neonates. In the 73.4% of them, gram positive bacteria were isolated. Most common causative pathogens were: Coagulase negative Staphylococci (48.5%), Escherichia coli (11.8%), Staphylococcus aureus (7.9%), Klebsiella (5.2%), GBS (4.8%), Streptococci (other, 4.8%), Enterococcus (3.9%), Pseudomonas (3.1%), Enterobacteria (2.2%), Acinetobacter (2.2%), Streptococcus viridans (1.3%), Candida albicans (1.3%), Listeria (0.9%), Serratia(0.4%), Hemophilus (0.4%), Streptococcus pneumonia (0.4%) and Brucella melitensis (0.4%). Of the 20.643 neonates born alive at our center, 101 (0.49%) had EOS. Also, EOS developed in 3.1% of the inborn neonates with BW < 1500g, and 2.7% with GA< 33 wks, of whom 45.9% and 51.4%, respectively, had EOS from gram negative and positive bacteria.

Conclusion: The most common bacteria for EOS in our NICU were staphylococci sp., whereas GBS and Listeria are not important in the epidemiology of EOS. Gram negative bacteria are involved mostly in inborn babies with GA< 33 wks.

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