Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteraemia in Enugu, Nigeria. A review of 24 cases.

A 4-year study of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteraemia was carried out at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) in Enugu, Nigeria. The average age of the patients was 14.7 years. Thirty-three per cent of the patients were between 0-6 months of age, with males being in the majority. Underlying factors/diseases were present in 70.8% of patients, with prematurity, chronic suppurative otitis media and leukaemia being the major ones in infancy and childhood and diabetes mellitus, urogenital disorders and head injuries in adults. Overall mortality was 50% and highest (16.6%) in the 0-6 months age group. Antipseudomonas antibiotics are extremely costly and therefore beyond the financial scope of many people in the developing world. In Nigeria aminoglycosides are the best affordable antibiotics.