ABSTRACT
Background: Neonatal sepsis is one of the commonest causes of neonatal mortality in the developing world. Aims & Objective: To determine the bacteriological profile of neonatal septicaemia, their antibacterial susceptibility pattern (AST) and production of extended spectrun β-lactamase (ESBL) by gram negative bacteria. Material and Methods: Blood culture specimens were collected from 238 neonates. Identification of organisms, their AST, methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and ESBL detection was done. Results: Gram negative bacteria were more frequently isolated than gram positive bacteria. The gram positive bacteria were highly resistant to penicillin. Vancomycin and amoxyclav exhibited good activity against both Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase negative Staphylococcus. Gram negative bacteria also exhibited high resistance to the commonly prescribed group of drugs such as penicillins, cephalosporins and aminoglycosides. Out of the total 16 isolates of S. aureus, 31.25% were MRSA. ESBL production was seen in 52.9% of Escherichia coli and 50% of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Conclusion: E. coli and S. aureus were the most common bacteria associated with neonatal sepsis. Gram negative bacteria were isolated predominantly and many of them were resistant to several groups of drugs. Also high resistance was seen to third generation cephalosporins in case of E. coli and K. pneumoniae due to ESBL production.