Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Blood stream infections are very common in the pediatric age group. Patients with bacteremia may have either a transient bacteremia that may be rapidly and permanently cleared by a patient's host defenses with no major consequences, or persistent bacteremia which can be self-limited without development of focal infection or sequelae, or may progress to a more serious fatal infection or toxic symptoms. OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study is to analyze the hospital data on bacteremia in children less than 10 years with special reference to male and female cases, the pathogens involved, and the antibiotic susceptibility patterns. METHODS: Over a one year period samples were collected from 128 children who included all newborn babies and children admitted with fever and suspected of having sepsis. Blood was collected depending upon age groups with aseptic precaution and incubated at 37(o)C for 10 days. Subcultures were made on blood agar and MacConkey agar plates. Organisms were identified and antibiotic sensitivity test of the isolates were performed. RESULTS: Out of 128 suspected cases, 32 (25%) was culture positive. Male to female ratio is 1.28:1.0. Klebsiella species (43.75%) was the most common organism isolated followed by Staphylococcus aureus (18.75%). Prevalence of gram negative organism was 71.87%. Most of the gram negative organisms showed maximum resistance to ampicillin and the gram positive organisms to penicillin. In this study three gram negative organisms were extended-spectrum beta lactamases (ESBLs) producers and one Pseudomonas aeruginosa was metallo-beta lactamase (MBL) producer. 33.33% of staphylococcus aureus was Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSION: This study showed a 25% prevalence rate of bacteremia among children with an increasing prevalence in the age group of 5-10 years and also an observed decline in susceptibility of the pathogens to common antibiotics which ultimately stresses on the need for continuous screening and surveillance for antibiotic resistance in the pediatric care unit and calls for increased efforts to ensure more rational use of these drugs.