Neonatal sepsis: Staphylococcus aureus as the predominant pathogen.

96 consecutive inborn neonates with blood culture proven bacterial sepsis during the period January to June 1997 were studied. Lethargy with refusal of feeds (28%), fever (28%) and respiratory distress (31.3%) were the major presenting features. Half of them (n = 48) were of early onset (< 48 hours) and the remaining half were of late onset (> 48 hours). Staphylococcus aureus (n = 59, 61.5%) was the predominant pathogen and 66% of them were methicillin resistant followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 24, 21.9), Escherichia coli (n = 13, 13.5%) and streptococci (n = 3, 3.1%). Antibiotic resistance was common, with the sensitivity to various antibiotics being ampicillin 19%, gentamicin 21.6%, cefotaxime 32.8%, amikacin 50%, chloromycetin 59.6% and ciprofloxacin 90.3%.