Neonatal sepsis – etiological study at the Central Park teaching Hospital, Lahore.

Objective: To identify the causative bacteria responsible for early and late onset neonatal sepsis and to determine their antibiotic susceptibilities at Central Park Teaching Hospital. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Central Park Teaching Hospital, Lahore. Study Period: Jan to June 2024. Methods: Neonates up to 28 days old with clinical features of sepsis were randomly sampled and included in the study. Key maternal and neonatal risk factors were evaluated. Blood cultures were analyzed to identify microbial isolates and assess resistance patterns. Demographic data, clinical features, and blood culture results were collected and analyzed using SPSS version 26.0. Results: Out of the cases studied, 55% were male. Early onset sepsis was slightly more prevalent at 51.5%. Significant maternal risk factors for early sepsis included maternal fever, offensive liquor, and prolonged second stage of labor. Blood cultures were positive in 18.8% of cases, with early onset sepsis accounting for 44.7% of positives and late onset sepsis for 55.3%. Gram-positive bacteria were more common in early sepsis (48.1%), with Acinetobacter baumannii and Candida blankii being notable isolates, while Gram-negative bacteria were more prevalent in late sepsis (63.6%), with Bacillus spp. and Burkholderia cenoc as key pathogens. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus was the most frequently isolated pathogen in both early and late sepsis. Conclusion: The study underscores the importance of developing tailored antimicrobial strategies based on the timing of sepsis onset to improve neonatal outcomes. Significant differences in microbial distribution between early and late neonatal sepsis were observed (p < 0.001).