Abstract

Background Neonatal sepsis is a type of neonatal infection and specifically refers to the presence in a newborn baby of a bacterial blood stream infection (BSI) in the setting of fever. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence, pathogen distribution, antibiotic resistance pattern and the most common clinical features in infants with suspected sepsis admitted to teaching hospitals of Ilam, Iran. Materials and Methods This retrospective study was conducted in two teaching hospitals of Ilam city, Iran, during 2012-2017. After calculating sample size, simple random sampling was started in a total of 166 infants; of these, 22 infants were excluded from the study. The data collection method for each record was reviewed by two researchers and finally, the accuracy of the data extracted was examined by the third researcher. Required data were extracted based on the prepared checklist. Results The prevalence of neonatal sepsis was estimated to be 10.4. The most common pathogens were Escherichia coli (46.7), and Staphylococcus epidermidis (20). Prematurity (46.7) and low birth weight (35.4) were the most common risk factors for sepsis. The most common clinical features in neonatal sepsis were lethargy (53.3), jaundice (46.7), and respiratory distress (40), respectively. Neonatal sepsis was not significantly correlated with mother's age, gestational age, infant's age, infant's weight, gender, and normal vaginal delivery (p>0.05). Conclusion The results of the study showed that prevalence of neonatal sepsis was 10.4 and the most common pathogen was Escherichia coli. Lethargy, jaundice and respiratory distress, were the most common clinical features in neonatal sepsis.