Reviews

A review of bacterial isolates in blood cultures of children with suspected septicemia in a Nigerian tertiary hospital

S. I. Nwadioha¹*, E. O. P. Nwokedi¹, E. Kashibu², M. S. Odimayo¹ and E. E. Okwori¹

¹Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria.

²Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: samnwa2000@yahoo.com. Tel: +234-08056838967.

Accepted 24 December, 2009

   Abstract

Septicaemia is a common condition in children with a resultant high morbidity and mortality. The gold standard for diagnosis of septicemia is the isolation of bacteria agents from blood cultures. To determine the common etiology of septicemia in children and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern, a retrospective study with a review of blood culture reports of paediatric patients aged 0 - 15 years, suspected of septicemia, from October 2006 to October 2008 in the Medical Microbiology department of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria was carried out. Out of a total of 3840 blood culture samples, only 18.2% was culture positive. Gram–negative and gram–positive bacteria constituted 69.3 and 30.7%, respectively. The most prevalent bacterial isolates were Escherichia coli (44.3%) and Staphylococcus aureus (30.7%). E. coli were sensitive to Ceftriaxone, Ciprofloxacin, Gentamycin and Clavulinate – Amoxyl. The commonest bacterial isolate from blood culture of children with suspected septicemia in Kano was E. coli. The most sensitive and preferable among the tested antibiotics was Ceftriaxone. Rational use of antibiotics with regular antibiotic susceptibility surveillance studies is recommended to maintain high antibiotic therapeutic profile.

Key words: Blood cultures, bacterial isolates, antibiotic sensitivity, children.