1383 Blood Culture Isolates During One Year in a Center of Neonatology in Montenegro

Abstract

Septicemia is the leading cause of acquired illness among neonates. Prompt and effective antimicrobial therapy plays the most important role in the success of treatment. The purpose of this study was to identify the major organisms cultured from septicemic newborns at the Institute for Children Diseases in Montenegro. The study included 770 cases of clinically suspected neonatal septicemia admitted in the Center for Neonatology of Institute for Children Diseases in Montenegro during the period from March 2009 to March 2010. Blood samples were collected with all aseptic precautions for culture and sensitivity studies. Blood cultures were processed using the standard technique and the antibiotic sensitivity was performed by Kirby -Bauer's disc diffusion method. The aerobic isolates were studied in detail by Gram's staining, colony characteristics, biochemical properties and antibiotic sensitivity. Blood culture reports of these 770 clinically suspected neonatal septicemia cases were reviewed and there was no growth in 499 (63.80%) cases. Blood cultures were contaminated in 36 (4.6%) cases. Gram positive cocci constituted 86.80% of 235 isolates in blood cultures. Coagulase negative staphylococcus (CONS) was predominant isolate (65.53%). Gram positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 40 (17.02%) positive blood culture. Among Gram negative organisms Klebsiella spp. was predominant pathogens (24/30 Gram negative isolates). According to the results CONS, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella spp are the principal organisms causing neonatal sepsis in Montenegro.