Etiology and Clinical Outcomes of Neonatal and Pediatric Sepsis

Sepsis can be defined as the body’s response to an infection. Sepsis in children remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. This study focuses on the etiological factors, risk factors, and clinical characteristics of sepsis in neonate and pediatric patients. A prospective study was conducted over a six-month period in the pediatric and neonatal intensive care units of Bharati hospital and research centre, Pune. Fifty-two patients aged 0 - 12 years who were diagnosed with sepsis were included in the study. Data collected from the cases included demography, history, etiology, and diagnosis. Air contamination was assessed using the settle plate method. The incidence rate of sepsis was found to be 2.04%. Children aged 0 - 3 months accounted for the greatest percentage of admissions (57.6%). The male to female ratio was 1.7:1. Common etiologies that presented as risk factors included pneumonia, meningitis associated with catheterization, and very low birth weight. The most commonly seen organisms were gram-negative (Klebsiella, Enterococcus) and (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) MRSA. Microbiological testing was conducted in different wards of the hospital to determine the risk of developing sepsis, and it was found that the highest colony count was present in the labor rooms. On the basis of the onset of sepsis, patients were classified into early onset sepsis (3.84%) and late onset sepsis (9.61%). SIRS (systemic inflammatory response syndrome) with severe sepsis (51%) was the most prominent clinical characteristic of sepsis. There was a significant relationship between the severity of sepsis and mortality (P < 0.001). Sepsis remains the most common cause of mortality, with gram-negative infection and catheterization being the most significant risk factors. The more severe the sepsis, the greater the chances of mortality.