Acinetobacter Sepsis Among Out-born Neonates Admitted to Neonatal Unit in Pediatric Emergency of a Tertiary Care Hospital in North India

OBJECTIVES: To study the clinical profile, complications, antibiotic resistance pattern, treatment, and outcome of out-born neonates with Acinetobacter spp. sepsis admitted in Pediatric emergency of a tertiary care hospital in North India. METHODS: In this subgroup analysis of a prospective study (conducted over 1 y, February 2018 through January 2019), neonates with Acinetobacter spp. sepsis were included. The data collection included demographic details, clinical features, pre-referral treatment, complications, antibiotic resistance pattern, treatment, and final outcome. RESULTS: Acinetobacter spp. accounted for 10.6% (43/406) of all isolates and 22.7% (43/189) of Gram-negative isolates. The median (IQR) age at presentation was 1 (1–2) d, 2/3rd were male, and 46.5% were preterm. All were admitted in peripheral hospitals before referral to authors’ centre and all received intravenous antibiotics and fluids. The resistance to different antibiotics was: Ciprofloxacin 82%, cephalosporins 78–100%, amikacin 75%, pipercillin-tazobactum 62%, carbapenems 50–85%, chloramphenicol 83%, and tetracycline 50–60%. All isolates were sensitive to colistin. The survival rate was 37.2% (n = 16) and 62.8% (n = 27) had poor outcome [death and Left against medical advice (LAMA)]. Higher proportion of neonates with Acinetobacter sepsis had septic shock, multi-organ dysfunctional syndrome (MODS), and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC); and higher proportion required mechanical ventilation, vasoactive drugs, and had poor outcome compared to those with sepsis due to other organisms. CONCLUSIONS: Acinetobacter spp. accounts for high burden of sepsis among out-born neonates and is associated with alarmingly high resistance to cephalosporins, fluroquinolones, aminoglycosides, pipercillin-tazobactum, tetracyclines, and carbapenems. Neonates with Acinetobacter spp. sepsis had higher rates of complications, requirement of mechanical ventilation and vasoactive drugs, and poor survival.