Neonatal bacterial septicemia in a tropical area. Four-year experience in Guadeloupe (French West Indies)

Abstract

During a four-year study (1 987-1990) at the Neonatal Department, University Hospital Pointe-a-Pitre (French West Indies), blood culture was systematically performed on all admitted newborns. The incidence of septicemia was 48 of 1000 admissions and 8.9 of 1000 inborn live births. Among the 107 neonatal positive blood cultures, group B streptococcus accounted for 37% of blood culture isolates and was the most frequent cause of septicemia. The overall mortality rate was 8.4%. The incidence of neonatal bacterial septicemia was among the high rates reported in the literature. The incidence of neonatal bacterial septicemia is discussed as a public health problem in perinatology in Guadeloupe in spite of good medical care. A review of the literature on bacterial septicemia in tropical or developing countries compared to the Guadeloupean experience allows speculation that this problem might be underestimated in third world countries. 0 Developing countries, group B streptococcus, neonate P-Y Robillard. Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Maternit&, B P 465 97159 Pointe-a-Pitre cedex, Guadeloupe, French West Indies

Clinical, Bacteriological Profile & Outcome of Neonatal Sepsis in a Tertiary Care Hospital

“…Although some other studies found that Gram positive bacteria were the commonest cause of neonatal sepsis 7,26,27 , while one study showed that the frequency of isolation of both Gram positive and Gram negatives was equal 22 .…”

Serious community-acquired neonatal infections in rural Southeast Asia (Bohol Island, Philippines)

“…3 In developing countries, the incidence of neonatal sepsis ranges from 7.8 to 21.8/1000 live births, with case fatality rates as high as 38%. [4][5][6] To prevent this high mortality, appropriate preventive and therapeutic interventions must be directed against specific pathogens. However, contradictory studies and lack of etiological data from rural areas have stymied progress.…”

“…[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] However, many of these studies were hospital-based in large urban centers, with a high likelihood for inclusion of nosocomial infections and reflecting an urban population rather than the rural environment where the majority of neonatal deaths occur. Although group B Streptococcus has been a common cause of neonatal sepsis in industrialized countries, 18 its role in developing countries is less certain.…”

Interleukin-6: A Sensitive Parameter for the Early Detection of Neonatal Sepsis

“…The reported incidence of neonatal sepsis varies from 7.1 4 to 38 5 per 1000 live births in Asia, from 6.5 6 to 8.9 7 per 1000 live births in Africa, and from 3.5 8 to 8.9 9 per 1000 live births in South America and the Caribbean. By comparison, rates reported in the United States and Australasia range from 1.5 to 3.5 per 1000 for early onset sepsis and up to 6 per 1000 live births for let onset sepsis, a total of 6-9 per 1000 for neonatal sepsis.…”