Background. Neonatal sepsis remains one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in developing countries. With a dearth of data on neonatal sepsis in our country, this study was conducted to determine the incidence of clinical neonatal sepsis and evaluate the clinical, bacteriological, and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of organisms. Material and Methods. A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in the Neonatal Unit of the National Hospital from 1st January to 31st December 2016. All neonates admitted with suspected clinical sepsis were included. Sepsis screens and cultures were sent under aseptic conditions. Data was analyzed using STATA™ version 12. Clinical features and neonatal and maternal risk factors were analyzed using chi-squared test. Bacteriological profile was analyzed with descriptive statistics. Results. During the study period, incidence of culture positive neonatal sepsis was 19 per 1000 admissions with a blood culture positivity rate of 14%. 54.5% had culture-positive early-onset sepsis (EOS). Prematurity (p=0.012), APGAR<6 (p=0.018), low birth weight (p<0.001), and maternal intrapartum antibiotics (p=0.031) significantly increased risk for culture-positive EOS. Prematurity (p<0.001), low birth weight (p=0.001), and parental nutrition (p=0.007) were significantly associated with increased risk of culture-positive late-onset sepsis. A positive screen had sensitivity of 81.8% and negative predictive value of 87.7%. Gram-negative organisms were most commonly isolated (64.6%). Coagulase-negative Staphylococci (31%) were the commonest isolate followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (27%) and Acinetobacter (18.8%). Ninety percent of Acinetobacter were carbapenem resistant. Gram-negative sepsis had mortality of 88.9%. Conclusion. Preterm, low birth weight, low APGAR scores, intrapartum antibiotics, and parental nutrition were significantly associated with neonatal sepsis. Coagulase-negative Staphylococci, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter were the principal causative organisms. Gram-negative organisms had high resistance to commonly used antibiotics.

Background Scrub Typhus (ST) is an acute, febrile zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi which is endemic to the Asia-Pacific region. Infected adults rarely present with sensorineural hearing loss and otalgia. Though few cases of pediatric cases are known to present with otalgia, no pediatric cases of sensorineural deafness complicating ST have been reported to date. Case presentation A 5-year-old, previously healthy girl presented with a one-week history of high-grade intermittent fever, Headache and right ear pain with a recent onset of reduced hearing. She had a fever up to 39 °C, cervical lymphadenopathy, bilateral pleural effusion with diffuse infiltrations, and mild hepatosplenomegaly with no evidence of rash. Her initial examination was normal except for mildly enlarged tonsils. Unilateral right ear hearing loss was noted using Weber’s test. Evidence of progressive, mild anemia, and raised inflammatory markers was noted. Diagnosis of scrub typhus was confirmed by positive detection of Orentia tsutsugamushi IgM antibodies on rapid diagnostic test and the presence of chigger mite in the right external auditory canal on repeat examination. She responded dramatically to the empirical treatment of ceftriaxone and doxycycline. On follow-up, she did not have any residual hearing loss and her ear pain had resolved completely. Conclusion Acute onset hearing loss or severe otalgia with or without findings should be an important diagnostic clue for suspecting scrub typhus in patients who present with a history of fever especially in endemic areas.

A diagnosis of compartment syndrome warrants a need for fasciotomy. We present a case of compartment syndrome complicating snakebite where prophylactic fasciotomy was not done following good response to anti snake venom.

Introduction. The transmission trend of SARS-CoV-2 is continuously evolving. Understanding the dynamics in different settings is crucial for any effective containment measures. We aimed to study the characteristics of household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Bhutanese households by determining the transmissibility within household contacts of confirmed COVID-19 index cases and their factors of infectivity. Methods. We conducted a retrospective observational study on household transmission in 306 household contacts of 93 COVID-19 positive index cases diagnosed from April 16, 2021, to June 30, 2021. A pro forma was used to collect data on the epidemiological, demographic, and clinical profile of all recruited individuals. Secondary attack rates (SAR) were calculated, and risk factors for transmission were estimated. Results. 180 of 306 household contacts developed secondary household transmission (SAR 58.8%; 95% CI: 53.2-64.2). The median age of household contacts was 22 years. The median household size was 4 (mean 4.3 ± 2.199 ) members. Contacts exposed to adult index cases (aPR 1; 95% CI 1, 1.02, p = 0.01 ) and vaccinated index cases (uPR 0.41, 95% CI 0.25, 0.66, p < 0.001 ) had a higher SAR and prevalence of secondary infections. Conclusions. Our findings suggest substantial evidence of secondary infections among household contacts, especially in the context of public health mandated lockdowns. Aggressive early contact tracing and case identification with subsequent case isolation from other household members remains a crucial step in preventing secondary transmission.