Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of empirical antibiotics in neonatal sepsis at Maternity and Children Hospital, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Methods: This retrospective study was conducted among neonates at the neonatal intensive care unit of the Maternity and Children Hospital between the period from November 2021 to January 2022. The collected data included demographics and clinical data of neonates, antibiotic administrated, blood culture results, white blood cells (WBCs) count, and C-reactive protein (CRP) before and after antibiotic administration.
Results: The data of 164 neonates were included with the mean age of 17.5 ± 7.8 days. There was a male dominancy (51.8%), and 43.3% had normal body weight. Around 14.6% positive cultures were found with dominancy of coagulase-negative (COG -ve) Staphylococcus (4.9%). Empirical antibiotics revealed significant improvement in WBCs (p = 0.002) and CRP (p = 0.000).
Conclusion: The most causative agents of neonatal sepsis were COG −ve Staphylococcus and Escherichia coli. Empirical therapy was effective in improving the laboratory markers associated with neonatal sepsis.
Key words: Effectiveness, sepsis, neonatal, treatment, empirical antibiotics.
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