Isolation and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Pathogens from Neonatal Septicemia Cases in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto State

Neonatal septicemia is a leading cause of neonatal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, and knowledge of prevalent causative organisms and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns is essential for effective empirical therapy. This study isolated and characterized pathogens from blood cultures of neonates diagnosed with septicemia at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Sokoto, North West Nigeria. Blood culture bottles were inoculated from 80 neonates with clinical features consistent with septicemia over a six-month period. Isolates were identified biochemically, and antibiotic susceptibility profiles were determined using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method with CLSI guidelines. Results showed a positive blood culture rate of 61.25 percent. The most prevalent isolates were Klebsiella pneumoniae (32.6%), Staphylococcus aureus (24.5%), E. coli (18.4%), and Streptococcus agalactiae (14.3%). High resistance to first-line antibiotics including ampicillin (87%), gentamicin (52%), and cefotaxime (44%) was documented. Carbapenems and vancomycin retained the highest activity. Risk factors including low birth weight, prolonged rupture of membranes, and maternal urogenital infections were significantly associated with positive blood cultures. These alarming resistance profiles necessitate periodic updates of empirical treatment guidelines for neonatal septicemia in North West Nigeria and underscore the urgency of neonatal intensive care antimicrobial stewardship. Keywords: neonatal septicemia, blood culture, Klebsiella pneumoniae, antibiotic resistance, UDUTH.