Neonatal septicaemia: prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of common pathogens at Princess Marina Hospital, Botswana

Abstract

Background: Septicaemia is the third most common cause of neonatal death after prematurity and birth asphyxia. The prevalence of neonatal sepsis and the spectrum of causative microorganisms fluctuates over time, thus facility-specific surveillance of neonatal bloodstream infections is important. Increasing levels of antimicrobial resistance documented worldwide, necessitate regular monitoring of institutional resistance patterns to ensure appropriate and effective empirical antimicrobial therapy.