title: Acinetobacter sepsis in neonates.
abstract: Twenty-six neonates were diagnosed to have acinetobacter sepsis during 1986-90, representing 6.5% of all cases of bacteriologically proven sepsis. Of these 19 neonates were low birth weight (LBW) 12 were small for gestational age (SGA). Nineteen neonates had early-onset sepsis. The male to female ratio was 9:17. The hematological profile was suggestive of sepsis in 17 cases. All infants had clinical evidence of multi system infection. Eleven babies died; the cases-fatality rate was 42.3%. Only 15/25 culture isolates were sensitive to gentamicin and resistance to other antibiotics was even more frequent. Acinetobacter was cultured from other sites: eye swabs, skin pustules and umbilical catheter tips. Environmental nursery surveillance cultures done during the study period yielded Acinetobacter once from a crib, but no cases of sepsis occurred around that time. The epidemiological features of this organism illustrate the value of vigilance and precautionary measures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Kasturba Medical College and Hospital, Manipal, Karnataka.
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Christo
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shenoy
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Matthai
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Shivananda
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Venkatesh
mesh_terms: D000150:Acinetobacter / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D005839:Gentamicins