Outbreak of neonatal Klebsiella septicaemia: a review of antimicrobial sensitivities

Abstract

A 10-week prospective study was undertaken to document the antibiotic susceptibilities of klebsiella organisms which were responsible for an outbreak of septicaemia on the neonatal units of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. The thirty-nine isolates obtained comprised K. pneumoniae, 18 (46.2%), K. aerogenes, 17 (43.6%), K. edwardsii, 3 (7.7%), and K. oxytoca, 1(2.5%). All the strains were sensitive to ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin, but resistant to ampicillin. The percentage of qualitative sensitivities of the klebsiella species to other available drugs were 41% for ceftazidime, 36% for cefotaxime, 31% for ceftriazone, 23% for cefuroxime, 21% for gentamycin, and 15% for kanamycin. Quantitative sensitivities of the three most commonly isolated sub-types to netilmycin were 63%, 36%, and 33%, respectively. A comparison with a previous antibiotic susceptibility study still showed persistent resistance to the available aminoglycosides.