Bacteriological Profile of Neonatal Sepsis at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto State

Neonatal sepsis is a life-threatening systemic infection occurring within the first 28 days of life and remains a leading cause of neonatal mortality in Nigeria, particularly in the North West region. This retrospective study examined the bacteriological agents and antibiotic sensitivity patterns in neonates with culture-confirmed sepsis at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Sokoto State, between 2021 and 2023. Blood culture records from 320 neonates with clinical suspicion of sepsis were reviewed. Blood samples had been processed in BACTEC automated blood culture systems, with isolate identification performed using biochemical and molecular methods. Positive blood cultures were obtained in 42.8 percent of cases. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus was the most common isolate in early-onset sepsis, while Klebsiella pneumoniae predominated in late-onset cases. Gram-negative organisms collectively accounted for 56 percent of all isolates. Multi-drug resistance was present in 68 percent of Gram-negative isolates, with carbapenems remaining the most effective agents. Mortality among culture-confirmed sepsis cases was 29 percent. The findings underscore the gravity of neonatal sepsis in UDUTH Sokoto and advocate for empirical antibiotic regimen review, enhanced infection control in neonatal intensive care units, and routine blood culture prior to antibiotic initiation. Keywords: neonatal sepsis, blood culture, Sokoto, Klebsiella, antibiotic resistance.