title: Clinico-bacteriological study of neonatal septicemia in Hubli.
abstract: Septicemia is a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality in India. In a study of 242 infants with septicemia conducted between March 1996 & June 1997 at Hubli, Karnataka, 43.39% infants had 'very early onset' sepsis (VOS), 40.08%, had 'early onset' sepsis (EOS), and 16.53% 'late onset' sepsis (LOS). 54.55% neonates had birth weight below 2000 g and 39.67% were born before 37 weeks of gestation. The cardiorespiratory signs and jaundice were the most frequent clinical features. The blood culture positivity rate was 64.87%. Klebsiella species was the commonest causative pathogen found and multidrug resistance was frequent. The overall mortality rate was 47.52% and the case fatality rate in LOS was higher than in VOS and EOS (p < 0.001). The mortality was significantly higher in neonates with lower birth weight and lower gestational age (p < 0.001). The study underlines the importance of monitoring the various features of neonatal septicemia, as well as the drug resistance of the pathogens from the nurseries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Karnatak Institute of Medical Sciences, Hubli, Karnataka.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Tallur
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Kasturi
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Nadgir
authors.forename: B V
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Krishna
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D018805:Sepsis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology*