title: Six year trend of neonatal septicaemia in a large Malaysian maternity hospital.
abstract: A study carried out in the Maternity Hospital, Kuala Lumpur over a 6 year period from 1986 to 1991, showed that the annual rates of septicaemia ranged from 5.2 to 10.2/100 admissions. Septicaemia accounted for between 11.0 to 30.4% of all neonatal deaths. The case fatality ratios ranged from 23.0 to 52.2%, being highest in 1989 when basic facilities were compromised. Low birthweight neonates accounted for 55.5% of those with septicaemia. The most common causative organisms were Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus in 1986 and 1987, but from 1988 Klebsiella species became the most common. More than 50% of neonatal septicaemia occurred after the age of 2 days. The results of the study demonstrated the dynamism of infection control: when control measures introduced earlier were not sustained, outbreaks of nosocomial infection recurred or worsened.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.
authors.forename: N Y
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Boo
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chor
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006771:Hospitals, Maternity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006786:Hospitals, Urban / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D017053:Infection Control; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology