Etiological factors and evolution of neonatal sepsis at Heal Africa hospital from January 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024

Abstract

Introduction: Sepsis is the presence of a severe infectious condition associated with persistent arterial hypotension despite adequate fluid resuscitation. It constitutes a major public health problem at international, continental, national, and local levels. This study evaluates the etiological and evolutionary factors of neonatal sepsis at Heal Africa Hospital.

Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study with a descriptive and analytical approach. The sampling method was exhaustive, involving 152 newborns at Heal Africa from January 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024. Data were collected using SPSS version 24 for encoding and descriptive tables, with data entry performed using Microsoft Word and Excel 2016.

Results: A total of 152 cases of neonatal sepsis were observed. Male newborns were the most affected, accounting for 56.6%. The majority of mothers were aged between 20 and 35 years (49.3%). Of the mothers of newborns with neonatal sepsis, 49.3% were housewives, while 46.1% came from the Goma Health Zone. Secondary education was the highest level attained by 37.5% of the affected mothers, and 37.5% of the mothers were multiparous. Additionally, 37.5% of the mothers had malaria during pregnancy, while 52.0% developed urogenital infections. Neonatal sepsis developed between the 1st and 5th day of birth in 59.2% of cases. Vaginal delivery was the most common mode of birth (70.4%). Premature birth was observed in 38.2% of cases, and 53.3% of newborns required resuscitation at birth. Staphylococcus epidermidis accounted for 38.5% of the detected germs, showing sensitivity to Methicillin, Vancomycin, Ciprofloxacin, and Augmentin while exhibiting resistance to Tetracycline, Penicillin, and Erythromycin. Haemophilus influenzae was identified in 33.4% of deceased newborns, followed by E. Coli at 26.7% statistically significant, with p-values of 0.02 and 0.04 respectively.