Bacteriological Profile of Blood Culture Isolates in Neonates with Suspected Septicaemia at Specialist Hospital Bauchi, North East Nigeria

Neonatal septicaemia remains a leading cause of mortality in the newborn period in sub-Saharan Africa, with the bacteriological profile varying between institutions and influencing empirical therapy choices. This study characterised blood culture isolates and their antimicrobial susceptibility from neonates with suspected septicaemia at Specialist Hospital Bauchi, North East Nigeria. A retrospective cross-sectional study reviewed microbiological records of 240 neonates with clinical features of septicaemia over a three-year period from January 2021 to December 2023. Blood samples of 1-3 mL collected by aseptic venepuncture were incubated in BACTEC bottles and subcultured on appropriate agar media. Organisms were identified using standard biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by disc diffusion. Blood culture positivity was 47.9%. Gram-negative organisms predominated at 64.3%, with Klebsiella pneumoniae being most frequent at 28.7%, followed by E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Staphylococcus aureus was the leading Gram-positive isolate at 22.6%. High resistance to ampicillin, gentamicin, and cefuroxime was documented. Carbapenems and vancomycin retained effectiveness. Early-onset sepsis was predominantly caused by Gram-negative organisms. The study underscores the need for blood culture as a mandatory diagnostic tool in neonatal septicaemia and calls for locally tailored empirical antibiotic guidelines based on surveillance data at neonatal units across North East Nigeria. Keywords: neonatal septicaemia, blood culture, bacteriological profile, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bauchi