Positive Blood Cultures Research Articles

Clinical Characteristics of the Extensively Prolonged Hospitalization: A Retrospective Analysis at a Large Tertiary Medical Center

Background: Prolonged hospitalizations have contributed to the concentration of American healthcare spending in a small subset of patients. Research related to such events is scarce. Methods: The authors performed a retrospective analysis of hospitalizations at a tertiary care center between 2012 and 2022. Extensively prolonged hospitalization (EPH) was defined as an uninterrupted hospital stay of at least 183 days. Patient data, including past medical history, hospital complications, barriers to discharge, and long-term outcomes were collected. Results: Among 393,474 unique adult hospitalizations, mean length of stay was 5.49 days. There were 42 EPH, making up 0.01% of all admissions and 0.69% of hospital days. Patients with EPH were 62% male and had a median age of 58.5 years old. EPH featured a mean of 8.88 CTs and 2.12 MRIs. MRSA blood culture positivity was documented in 48% of cases. Mechanical ventilation and gastrostomy tube placement were performed in 88% and 71% of EPH, respectively. In 64% of cases, patients were medically stable for discharge and awaiting post-acute facility bed availability for at least three months. In-hospital death occurred in 31% of cases. Among patients who survived hospitalization, none were able to live independently, and median post-discharge survival was 94 days. At five-year follow-up, 1 patient (2%) was still alive. Conclusions: These findings emphasize the importance of non-medical barriers to discharge in EPH. While larger studies are needed, this study suggests that long-term outcomes in EPH are grim.

Helicobacter cholecystus Bacteremia in an Adult with Acute Cholecystitis.

We report the isolation of Helicobacter cholecystus from a positive blood culture of a 58-year-old male with bacteremia and acute cholecystitis, in China. The patient's condition improved after symptomatic support treatment and subtotal cholecystectomy. This suggests that H. cholecystus should be considered a potential human pathogen.

Enteric fever in a young man with bowel wall thickening and hepatosplenomegaly

Typhoid fever (enteric fever), caused by Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi), is a public health problem especially in South Asia and sub-Saharan African countries, while incidence remains low in most other parts of the world, where the disease is primary related to recent travel to endemic countries or contact with chronic carriers. The diagnosis of typhoid fever is challenging in endemic countries, often also low- and middle- income countries (LMIC), due to the poor sensitivity/specificity of available serologic tests and lack of adequate infrastructure for blood cultures. We report the case of an 18-year-old male patient with a 21-day history of right-sided abdominal pain, malaise, headache, intermittent fever and watery diarrhea. Contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomography (CT) exhibits thickening of the terminal ileum, cecum and ascending colon with mesenteric lymphadenopathy. Laboratory findings indicate elevated transaminases, positive blood culture to S. Typhi and a positive Widal test to S. Paratyphi A, B and S. Typhi H (flagellar) antigens. A diagnosis of complicated typhoid fever was made. Following a 13-day regimen of ceftriaxone, all symptoms resolved. Few reports have been made about CT manifestations in patients with typhoid fever. While CT can aid in diagnosis, it is particularly important for identifying complications of typhoid fever such as perforation, bleeding and abscess formation.

Infective endocarditis in children with heart diseases at Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute, Tanzania: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundInfective endocarditis (IE) in children with pre-existing heart conditions is a life-threatening disease entity associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In our cardiac setting, the management outcomes of children with IE are not well documented. We therefore aimed to document the clinical profile and treatment outcomes of children with IE attended at the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI).MethodsThis was a hospital-based cross-sectional study with longitudinal follow-up conducted among children with IE diagnosed by Modified Duke’s Criteria at the JKCI from November 2021 to November 2023. A structured questionnaire was used to collect patients’ socio-demographic and clinical data.ResultsDuring the study period, 1,546 children were admitted to the JKCI. A total of 30 children with IE were enrolled, of these half (n = 16, 53%) were aged 10 to 18 years, with a median of 10 yrs (Inter quartile range, IQR: 6.5–12.2 yrs). Twelve children (40%) and nearly half (n = 14, 47%) had fever and used antibiotic therapy respectively. Majority of participants had anaemia (n = 26, 87%) and heart failure (n = 21, 70%). Nine children (30%) had positive blood cultures and S. aureus was the most frequently isolated organism (n = 7). Ten patients (33%) developed acute kidney injury (AKI), and eleven (37%) children died during the hospital stay.ConclusionIn our setting, in-hospital mortality due to IE among children with heart diseases is high. Heart failure and anaemia were the common presentations of IE. Furthermore, AKI was observed to be the leading in-hospital non-cardiac complication.

The PARK2_e01(-697) Polymorphism does not Associate with Susceptibil-ity to Typhoid in Punjabi Population, Pakistan: A Case Control Study.

SNP based association studies have revolutionized the field of biomed-icines. Enteric fever is a systemic disease with etiologic agents Salmonella enterica serovar typhi and paratyphi. It is a serious health issue worldwide and presents wide variations in incidence, rates, and severity. Previous investigations have revealed that genetic variations may lead to sus-ceptibility to typhoid fever. A current study was performed to investigate the potential association of PARK2_e01(-697) polymorphism with the susceptibility to typhoid in the Punjabi population. For this case-control study, blood samples obtained from typhoid patients with positive Typhidot or blood culture test (n=72) and healthy controls (n=73) were processed for DNA ex-traction. The polymorphism PARK2_e01(-697) analysis was carried out by using PCR and RFLP. No allelic association was found between PARK2_e01(-697) and susceptibility to ty-phoid fever in the understudy population. This case control study is the demonstration of the non-association of PARK2_e01(-697) with typhoid in the Pakistani population. Future research, using a larger population size, will help to elucidate the role of PARK2_e01(-697) polymorphism in typhoid pathogenesis.

Pseudo-outbreak of Bacillaceae species associated with poor compliance with blood culture collection recommendations.

This study describes a pseudo-outbreak of Bacillaceae spp. bloodstream infections that spanned five months starting in May 2023 and the infection prevention measures implemented to control it. This retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary infectious disease hospital in Bucharest, Romania. An observational audit of the blood culture collection practice in our hospital was performed, and the materials used during blood culture collection were sampled. Bacterial colonies were identified using MALDI Biotyper. The Bacillaceae blood culture positivity rates in the previous four years were compared using the Kruskal‒Wallis rank test. Bacillaceae spp.-positive blood cultures were recovered from 60 patients over a five-month period. In the case of 58 patients, Bacillaceae spp.-positive blood cultures were considered contaminated. Two patients were treated for Bacillus spp. bacteraemia. The audit revealed significant variation during the preparation of the venipuncture site step and the use of nonsterile medical cotton wool. Medical cotton wool contaminated with species of Bacillaceae was found in 10 out of 12 wards. The control measures included repeated training on the blood culture collection procedure and the removal of Bacillaceae spp.-contaminated cotton wool. The pseudo-outbreak was caused by the unjustified use of medical cotton wool for disinfection of the skin and blood culture bottle septums. The investigation of this pseudo-outbreak highlighted a gap in blood culture collection practices at our facility and thus allowed for its improvement.

Mural infectious endocarditis in a patient with tetralogy of Fallot: a clinical case

The article presents a clinical case of development of mural infective endocarditis (IE) with formation of vegetations in the region of the upper third of the interventricular septum in patient A., 51 years old, with uncorrected tetralogy of Fallot. The patient was admitted with complaints of increased heart rate, interruptions in the heart work, feet swelling, shins up to the upper third, dyspnea at rest, general weakness, fever up to 39 оC, sweating, headache. During transthoracic echocardiography on the upper third of the interventricular septum (IVS) from the side of the RV, an additional echo-positive linear mobile formation 0.9 cm long is visualized, similar to the chords of the tricuspid valve. Thus, based on the identification of 1 major Duke criterion (imaging criterion — the presence of parietal vegetation) and 3 minor criteria (predisposing factors — congenital heart disease of the blue type; fever >38 оC; positive blood culture not meeting the requirements for the major criterion), laboratory and instrumental diagnostic data and anamnesis, the following diagnosis was established: "Secondary infective endocarditis with damage to the upper third of the interventricular septum". Taking into account the sensitivity of the identified microflora, polymyxin and moxifloxacin were prescribed. During therapy, a dry cough and dry wheezing in the projection of the middle lobe on the right appeared. To exclude septic embologenic pneumonia, computed tomography of the chest organs was performed, on which no focal/infiltrative changes were detected. However, a shunt connecting the brachiocephalic trunk with the right pulmonary artery was visualized, which may explain the cause of compensation of hypoxemia that arose due to pathological hemodynamics as a result of high pulmonary stenosis. Given the incomplete effectiveness of therapy, as well as the sensitivity of the infectious agents isolated, a decision was made to change antibacterial therapy to vancomycin in combination with imipenem. Conservative treatment methods allowed not only to compensate for the existing clinical symptoms, but also to achieve reference values of laboratory parameters, despite the impossibility of surgical intervention.

Evaluation of the Eazyplex®Candida ID LAMP Assay for the Rapid Diagnosis of Positive Blood Cultures.

Rapid molecular assays can be used to identify Candida pathogens directly from positive blood cultures (BCs) in a timely manner compared to standard methods using subcultures. In this study, the eazyplex®Candida ID assay, which is based on loop-mediated amplification (LAMP) and is currently for research use only, was evaluated for the identification of the most common fungal species. A total of 190 BCs were analysed. Sensitivity and specificity were 93.88% and 99.26% for C. albicans, 89.13% and 100% for Nakaseomyces glabratus (N. glabratus), 100% and 100% for Pichia kudravzevii (P. kudriavzevii), 100% and 100% for C. tropicalis, and 100% and 99.44% for C. parapsilosis. Sample preparation took approximately 11 min and positive amplification results were obtained between 8.5 and 19 min. The eazyplex®Candida ID LAMP assay is an easy-to-use diagnostic tool that can optimise the management of patients with candidemia.

Impact of ESKAPE Pathogens on Bacteremia: A Three-Year Surveillance Study at a Major Hospital in Southern Italy.

ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.) pose a serious public health threat as they are resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents. Bloodstream infections (BSIs) caused by ESKAPE bacteria have high mortality rates due to the limited availability of effective antimicrobials. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and susceptibility of ESKAPE pathogens causing BSIs over three years in a large tertiary hospital in Salerno. Conducted at the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory of San Giovanni di Dio e ''Ruggi D'Aragona'' Hospital from January 2020 to December 2022, blood culture samples from different departments were incubated in the BD BACTEC™ system for 5 days. Species identification was performed using MALDI-TOF MS, and antimicrobial resistance patterns were determined by the VITEK2 system. Out of 3197 species isolated from positive blood cultures, 38.7% were ESKAPE bacteria. Of these, 59.9% were found in blood culture samples taken from men, and the most affected age group was those aged >60 years. (70.6%). Staphylococcus aureus was the main BSI pathogen (26.3%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (15.8%). Significant resistance rates were found, including 35% of Staphylococcus aureus being resistant to oxacillin and over 90% of Acinetobacter baumannii being resistant to carbapenems. These results highlight the urgent need for antimicrobial stewardship programs to prevent incurable infections.

Safety of Intraoperative Cell Salvage in Two-Stage Revision of Septic Hip Arthroplasties.

(1) Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of intraoperative cell salvage (ICS) during reimplantation in the two-stage revision of septic hip arthroplasties. (2) Methods: As part of an internal quality control study, blood cultures were taken from the processed ICS blood during reimplantation and examined for possible bacterial load (study group). Due to a high rate of bacterial detection with uncertain clinical significance, consecutive ICS samples were also examined from patients undergoing aseptic revision hip arthroplasty (control group). Microbiological samples, patient and surgical characteristics and the follow-up data were analyzed retrospectively. (3) Results: 9 out of 12 (75%) patients in the study group and 5 out of 8 (63%) patients in the control group had positive ICS blood cultures. There was no significant difference between the groups (p = 0.642). The initial pathogens causing the periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) were not detected, but the bacterial spectrum resembled skin flora, with a high proportion of coagulase-negative staphylococci. No complications due to possible bloodstream-associated infections were observed. In summary, the detected pathogens were interpreted as contamination without clinical significance. (4) Conclusions: ICS in the context of reimplantation was considered a safe and recommendable procedure to optimize patient blood management.

Evaluating the impact of rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing for bloodstream infections: a review of actionability, antibiotic use and patient outcome metrics.

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is a core function of the clinical microbiology laboratory and is critical to the management of patients with bloodstream infections (BSIs) to facilitate optimal antibiotic therapy selection. Recent technological advances have resulted in several rapid methods for determining susceptibility direct from positive blood culture that can provide turnaround times in under 8 h, which is considerably shorter than conventional culture-based methods. As diagnostic results do not directly produce a medical intervention, actionability is a primary determinant of the effect these technologies have on antibiotic use and ultimately patient outcomes. Randomized controlled trials and observational studies consistently show that rapid AST significantly reduces time to results and improves antimicrobial therapy for patients with BSI across various methods, patient populations and organisms. To date, the clinical impact of rapid AST has been demonstrated in some observational studies, but randomized controlled trials have not been sufficiently powered to validate many of these findings. This article reviews various metrics that have been described in the literature to measure the impact of rapid AST on actionability, antibiotic exposure and patient outcomes, as well as highlighting how implementation and workflow processes can affect these metrics.

Retrospective evaluation of rapid genotypic ID and phenotypic AST systems on positive blood culture turnaround time and simulated potential impacts on bloodstream infection management

Abstract Background Bloodstream infections are linked to heightened morbidity and mortality rates. The consequences of delayed antibiotic treatment can be detrimental. Effective management of bacteraemia hinges on rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Objectives This retrospective study examined the influence of the VITEK® REVEAL™ Rapid AST system on positive blood culture (PBC) management in a French tertiary hospital. Materials and methods Between November 2021 and March 2022, 79 Gram-negative monomicrobial PBC cases underwent testing with both VITEK®REVEAL™ and VITEK®2 systems. Results The study found that VITEK®REVEAL™ yielded better results than the standard of care, significantly shortening the time to result (7.0 h compared to 9.6 h) as well as the turnaround time (15 h compared to 31.1 h) when applied for all isolates. Conclusions This study implies that the use of VITEK®REVEAL™ enables swift adaptations of antibiotic treatment strategies. By considerably minimizing the turnaround time, healthcare professionals can promptly make necessary adjustments to therapeutic regimens. Notably, these findings underscore the potential of VITEK®REVEAL™ in expediting appropriate antibiotic interventions, even in less ideal conditions. Further studies in varied laboratory contexts are required to validate these encouraging outcomes.

A comparative study of a rapid phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing system directly from positive blood cultures to the disk diffusion and VITEK 2 methods

BackgroundSepsis is a life-threatening condition that impacts 49 million people annually and causes 11 million deaths worldwide. Surviving bloodstream infections (BSIs) depends on the rapid administration of effective antimicrobial treatment, underscoring a need for rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). AimTo evaluate the performance of Quantamatrix's dRAST v2.5 system (Seoul, South Korea) for AST directly from positive blood cultures as compared to the Disk-Diffusion (DD) and VITEK 2 methods. MethodsThe study included 191 positive blood cultures from clinical samples and spiked blood culture bottles. Following Gram staining and species-level identification, AST was performed by VITEK 2 and standard DD methods using CLSI (2021) interpretation. ResultsdRAST demonstrated very good AST performance for a Gram-negative isolate, and good performance for Gram-positive isolates, meeting CLSI criteria for the acceptance of a new method. Antimicrobials that were not considered verified compared to VITEK 2 and DD were cefazolin, ceftazidime, meropenem, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole for Gram-negatives and clindamycin, erythromycin, penicillin, and oxacillin for Gram-positives. dRAST ESBL detection results were strongly correlated with the ESBL phenotypes obtained with other methods. Additional resistance mechanisms were in concordance with traditional tests. ConclusionsdRAST demonstrated good AST performance, meeting CLSI criteria for most relevant antibiotics. dRAST was associated with a significant reduction in time-to-results, labor, and the subjectivity of result analyses, making it a valuable addition to efforts supporting the treatment of patients with bacteremia.AST (antimicrobial susceptibility test), blood culture, dRAST, rapid methods, sepsis, turnaround time (TAT).

Comparison of bloodstream infections due to Corynebacterium striatum, MRSA, and MRSE

BackgroundCorynebacterium striatum (C. striatum), a common skin and mucosal colonizer, is increasingly considered as an opportunistic pathogen causing bloodstream infections (BSIs). This study aims to investigate the clinical features and outcomes of C. striatum-BSI.MethodsWe included hospitalized cases with C. striatum-positive blood cultures from January 2014 to June 2022 and classified them into C. striatum-BSI group and contamination group; Clinical characteristics, treatments, and outcomes were compared between the C. striatum-BSI group and contamination group, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-BSI and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE)-BSI.ResultsFifty-three patients with positive C. striatum blood cultures were identified. Among them, 25 patients were classified as C. striatum-BSI, with 21 as contamination cases. And 62 cases of MRSA-BSI and 44 cases of MRSE-BSI were identified. Compared to the contaminated group, the C. striatum-BSI group had a shorter time to positivity of blood cultures (27.0 h vs. 42.5 h, P = 0.011). C. striatum-BSI group had a longer time to positivity (27 h) when compared to both the MRSA (20 h) and MRSE groups (19 h) (p < 0.05). Appropriate therapy within 24 h of BSI onset was significantly lower in the C. striatum group (28%) compared to the MRSA (64.5%) and MRSE (65.9%) groups (p < 0.005). The 28-day mortality was higher in the C. striatum group (52.0%) compared to the MRSA (25.8%) and MRSE (18.2%) groups. ConclusionsGiven the distinct characteristics of C. striatum-BSI, including a longer time to positivity than other Gram-positive bacteria and higher mortality rates, we suggest prescribing early appropriate antibiotics if C. striatum-BSI is suspected.

Detection of KPC-3 producing Escherichia coli ST410 in Volos, Greece.

Escherichia coli A382 was isolated in July 2024 from a positive blood culture obtained from the central venous catheter of a male patient undergoing chemotherapy at the Hospital of Volos, Thessaly, Greece. Whole-genome sequencing analysis revealed that the isolate A382 is E. coli belonging to the ST410 high-risk clone, which co-harbors the blaKPC-3 and blaSHV-182 genes on an IncX3 plasmid. It also harbors blaTEM-1 and has five replicons, as follows: IncX3, IncQ1, CoIRNAI, IncF1A, and IncFIB. Complete genome analysis revealed that E. coli A382 isolate carries a range of virulence factors (iutA, iucC, fimH, fdeC, yehA, yehD, yehC, yehB, cgs, ahha, ccI, hlyE, papC, irp2, fyuA, lpfA, and nlpl) and many other non-beta-lactam resistance determinants, including dfrA14 and sul2, but it is susceptible to aminoglycosides, nitrofurantoin, tigecycline, colistin and ceftazidime-avibactam. In conclusion in this study, we describe the phenotypic and genome characteristics of an extensively drug-resistant E. coli ST410.

Evaluating EUCAST rapid antimicrobial susceptibility test from positive neonatal blood culture directly against the golden standard disc diffusion method in a tertiary hospital

Evaluating EUCAST rapid antimicrobial susceptibility test from positive neonatal blood culture directly against the golden standard disc diffusion method in a tertiary hospital

Assessing the effectiveness of direct susceptibility testing from positive blood culture broth using the VITEK-2 system

Assessing the effectiveness of direct susceptibility testing from positive blood culture broth using the VITEK-2 system

Determinants of Healthcare-Associated Infections in King Abdulaziz Specialized Hospital in Taif, Saudi Arabia.

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) represent a significant challenge in hospital settings, contributing to increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and socio-demographic and clinical determinants of HAIs at the King Abdulaziz Specialized Hospital (KAASH) in Taif, Saudi Arabia. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2023 to January 2024targeting inpatients aged 18 and above in all units and wards. Data were collected using the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) criteria for definitions of surveillance. A structured questionnaire gathered socio-demographic and clinical data from patients or next of kin if the patient was not fully oriented.Descriptive statistics were performed, and analytical methods used included Pearson chi-square test, Pearsoncorrelation, independent t-test, and one-way analysis of variance. Among 318 participants included in this study, the mean age of participants was 56.44 years, with a slight female predominance (n=164, 51.6%). Hypertension (n=162, 50.9%) and diabetes (n=126, 39.6%) were the most prevalent comorbidities. Pneumonia (n=60, 26.8%) and trauma (n=55, 17.4%) were the leading causes of admission. The two most common HAIs included catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) (n=124, 39%) and central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) (n=74, 23.3%). The primary causative organisms were Klebsiella pneumoniae (n=96, 30.2%) and Acinetobacter baumannii (n=32, 10.1%). The most significant predictors of HAIs were as follows: For CLABSI, risk factors include having three or more comorbidities, fever above 37.8°C, chills or rigors, hypotension, and positive blood culture. For CAUTI, key predictors were urinary tract infection (UTI), positive urine culture, acute pain or swelling of the testes, suprapubic tenderness, visible hematuria, and leukocytosis. Significant predictors of bloodstream infections (BSI) include having a BSI, positive blood culture, chills or rigors, and hypotension. Fever and hypotension increased CLABSI and BSI risk but reduced the CAUTI risk. The study highlights a significant burden of HAIs at the KAASH, with multiple predictors. The findings underscore the need for robust infection control measures and targeted interventions to reduce HAI incidence and improve patient outcomes.

Clinical predictors of hospital-acquired bloodstream infections: A healthcare system analysis.

This study was performed to identify patient factors associated with hospital-acquired bloodstream infections (HABSI) to guide blood culture collection and empiric antibiotic therapy. A retrospective case-control study reviewed the medical records of 350 patients admitted to our health system from September 2017 to April 2020. The patients were 18 years and older and had at least one set of new positive non-contaminant blood cultures collected after 48 hours of admission, defined as HABSI. We developed clinical variables through a literature review associated with it. Univariate relationships between each variable and bacteremia were evaluated by chi-square test. A predictive model was developed through stepwise multivariate logistic regression. The univariate analysis and stepwise regression analysis showed that temperature >100.4° F (OR: 1.9, CI 1.1 to 3.4), male sex (OR: 1.8, CI 1.0 to 3.0), and platelet count <150,000/µL (OR: 1.8, CI 1.0 to 3.2) were statistically associated with a positive blood culture. This model helps identify patients with clinical characteristics associated with the likelihood of HABSI. This model can help guide the appropriate initiation of empiric antibiotics in clinical situations and assist with antibiotic stewardship.

Frequency, risk factors, and outcome of neonatal meningitis in sepsis.

To determine the frequency, associated risk factors, and outcome of meningitis in neonates presenting with sepsis at Aga khan Tertiary Care Hospital, Karachi. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at pediatrics department of Aga Khan Tertiary University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan from July 31, 2020, till January 30, 2021. Neonates of either gender admitted with neonatal sepsis were enrolled using non-probability consecutive sampling technique. Meningitis was diagnosed as per the findings of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) along with the outcome in terms of death and early neurological complications such as subdural effusions and hydrocephalus. Of 209 neonates with sepsis, meningitis was observed in 59 (28.2%) neonates. A significantly lower mean weight (p-value 0.024) while significantly higher mean duration of stay (p-value <0.001) was observed in patient with meningitis. Moreover, a significantly higher proportion of meningitis was observed in neonates who had fever (p-value 0.048), vomiting (p-value 0.009), abdominal distension (p-value <0.001), and blood culture positivity (p-value <0.001). Blood culture positive Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) was considerably higher among neonates with meningitis. Of 59 neonates with meningitis, mortality was observed in 2 (3.4%) neonates. Positive CSF culture was observed in 6 (2.9%) while hydrocephalus was observed in 7 (11.9%) and effusion in 6 (10.2%) neonates. Neonatal meningitis is common in neonates presenting with sepsis, but mortality rate is low. Positive cultures, particularly with MSSA, further underscore the bacterial etiology in neonatal meningitis.