Etiology, treatment and prognosis of early-onset and nosocomial septicemia in neonatal intensive care

lnvitro antibiotic sensitivity of the causative agents and gestational ages of the neonates with early-onset septicemia (3.32%) or nosocomial infections (2.18%) were analysed in a series of 1874 patients who were admitted to Ege University Medical School Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit between 1988-1992. Klebsiella species,staphylococcus aureus and staphylococcus epidermidis were the most frequent causative agents in both early-onset and nosocomial septicemias. The mortality rate was very high especially in infants with klebsiella infections. Most of the microorganisms, were resistant to classical ampicillin plus gentamycin combination. Nosocomial infections were more prevalant in premature infants than mature infants while no significant difference was observed in the frequency of early-onset septicemia between the two groups. The mortality rate of neonatal septicemia was found to be high and independent from gestational age being 58% in early-onset septicemia and 49% in nosocomial infections.