Background: Neonatal sepsis is defined as a clinical syndrome in an infant 28 days of life or younger, manifested by systemic signs of infection and isolation of a bacterial pathogen from the blood stream. Diagnosis and management of sepsis are a great challenge facing neonatologists in NICUs.
Aim and objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate and Compare the Epidemiological and Bacteriological Aspects of neonatal sepsis during a period of six months in neonatal Intensive Care units of Al Azhar University Hospitals and Main Shareya NICUs.
Subjects and methods: This was A prospective study conducted over a period of six months from 1/7/2018 to 31/12/2018 at NICUs of Al Azhar University Hospitals (Al Hussain &Sayed Galal Hospitals) and Some of Main Shareya NICUs in Grand Cairo, Egypt (Almaza, El-Shohadaa, Istiqamaand 6th October). During the study period, all admitted neonates were recorded, then cases with clinical signs and symptoms of sepsis at the time of admission or who developed sepsis during their hospital stay were assessed (Clinically , Laboratory and Bacteriologically) and included in the study.
Results: Out of 1874 of total admitted cases during study period, the incidence of clinically suspected neonatal sepsis among the admitted neonates at the neonatal intensive care units of the included hospitals and Units was 50.3% (942/1874).
The sepsis was proved in 410 (43.5%) cases by positive blood culture: 361(44.5%) from Main Shareya and 49 (37.1%) from Azhar hospitals.Regarding demographic characteristics of studied cases, presence of neonatal sepsis is more in (full term, CS, urban residence, male neonates and single) cases, with significant difference between both groups in Post-natal age, Sex and Birth number.
Klebsiella is the most organisms in blood cultures in both EOS and LOS of Main Shareya and Azhar cases followed by Staph. Aureus, Proteus, Candida Albicans then E. Coli and finally Strept. Pneumonia .There is no statistically significant difference between types of sepsis regarding to the causative organisms in blood cultures. Death occurs more frequent in EOS than in LOS while improvement is more frequent in LOS. There is no statistically significant difference in Main Shareya and Azhar cases.