Prevalence of Neonatal Sepsis in a Tertiary Hospital in Jos: A Five-Year Retrospective Study

Introduction Neonatal sepsis is a systemic illness that occurs in newborns. It is a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality globally. The aim of this study is to determine the burden of neonatal sepsis and assess the challenges of diagnosis among neonates hospitalized at the newborn unit of a tertiary care hospital in northern Nigeria. Methods Members of the study team extracted clinical and laboratory data from the medical records for all babies admitted to the hospital with neonatal sepsis between January 2015 and December 2019 using a standardized case report form. Results A total of 227 (39.5%) were found to have had suspected neonatal sepsis based on clinical presentation. Of these, 134 (59.0%) were male, 59 (26.0%) were preterm, and 93 (41.0%) were hospitalized within the first 24 hours of life. The majority were outborn, 148 (65.2%), and 147 (64.8%) had early-onset neonatal sepsis. Only 10 (4.4%) of these babies had blood cultures done; of these, only one was positive for <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>. The duration of admission was > 7 days in 45.4% of the babies; the parents of 11.5% of the babies signed against medical advice and discharged, and 13.7% died. Conclusion The prevalence of suspected neonatal sepsis in our hospital is high, but the rate of blood culture diagnosis is unacceptably low. There is an urgent need for improved laboratory support, including the routine availability of blood cultures and other markers of neonatal sepsis.