title: Neonatal infections in Asia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the epidemiology (including incidence, antibiotic sensitivity and mortality) of neonatal unit infections in countries in Asia.
  
  
  METHODS
  One year prospective study of neonatal infections in eight neonatal units in Asia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 453 episodes of sepsis affecting 394 babies. Mortality from neonatal sepsis was 10.4%, with an incidence of 0.69 deaths/1000 live births. Group B streptococcus was the most common early-onset organism causing 38% of episodes of early-onset (<48 h old) sepsis, with a rate of 0.51 episodes per 1000 live births and a mortality of 22%. Gram-negative bacillary early-onset sepsis occurred at a rate of 0.15 episodes per 1000 live births with a mortality of 12%. There were 406 episodes of late-onset sepsis. The incidence was high at 11.6 per 1000 live births, and mortality was 8.9%. Coagulase-negative staphylococcus caused 34.1% of episodes, whereas Staphylococcus aureus caused only 5.4%. Gram-negative bacilli caused 189 episodes (46.6%). Only 44% of Gram-negative bacilli were sensitive to both gentamicin and a third-generation cephalosporin, whereas 30% were resistant to both antibiotics. Meningitis occurred in 17.2% of episodes of late sepsis, with a mortality of 20%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of late-onset sepsis was higher in Asia than in resource-rich countries, but the organisms isolated and mortality were similar. Over half of all Gram-negative bacilli were antibiotic resistant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tiskumara
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Fakharee
authors.forename: C Q
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nuntnarumit
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Lui
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hammoud
authors.forename: J K F
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shenoi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Halliday
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Isaacs
mesh_terms: D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D009181:Mycoses / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality