Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Bacterial Isolates from Blood Cultures in Neonatal Sepsis Cases at Benghazi Medical Centre NICU

• Khadiga I. A. Shreef

  Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Benghazi, Libya

  Author

• Aziza I. Kadwar

  Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Benghazi, Libya

  Author

• Isaaida A. Alsaeiti

  Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Benghazi, Libya

  Author

• Nadia A.M. Eldarogi

  Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Benghazi, Libya

  Author

Neonatal sepsis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in NICUs worldwide, complicated increasingly by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Monitoring bacterial pathogens and their resistance patterns is crucial for informing effective treatment strategies. To identify bacterial isolates from positive blood cultures in neonates with sepsis admitted to the NICU at Benghazi Medical Centre and to assess their antibiotic resistance profiles. A retrospective review of 90 neonates with suspected sepsis was conducted; 67 with culture-confirmed sepsis were included. Clinical, laboratory, and microbiological data were analyzed. Antibiotic susceptibility was assessed, and data were analyzed using SPSS version 23. Gram-negative bacteria predominated (70.1%), with Acinetobacter (35.8%) and Klebsiella (31.3%) as the most common isolates. High resistance rates were observed to colistin (94.8%), amikacin (72.5%), and levofloxacin (67.2%). The overall mortality rate was 32.8%. Multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria, particularly Acinetobacter and Klebsiella, are the primary pathogens in neonatal sepsis at Benghazi Medical Centre. The high resistance rates highlight the urgent need for continuous surveillance and strict antibiotic stewardship to improve outcomes.

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