NEONATAL BACTERIAL CONJUNCTIVITIS IN TERTIARY HOSPITALS IN SANA'A CITY, YEMEN

Siham Ali Hizam Al-Arosi; Essam Yahiya Al-shamahi; Abdulwahab Ismail Mohamed Al-Kholani; Ahmed  Yahiya Al-Jawfi; Hassan Abdulwahab Al-Shamahy; Khaled Abdulkareem A Al-Moyed; Azhar Azher Mohammed Al-Ankoshy

doi:10.22270/ujpr.v6i6.697

Siham Ali Hizam Al-Arosi Opthalmology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen. Medical Microbiology and Clinical Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.
Essam Yahiya Al-shamahi Opthalmology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.
Abdulwahab Ismail Mohamed Al-Kholani Department of conservative dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.
Ahmed Yahiya Al-Jawfi Medical Microbiology and Clinical Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.
Hassan Abdulwahab Al-Shamahy Medical Microbiology and Clinical Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University. Medical Microbiology department, Faculty of Medicine, Genius University for Sciences & Technology, Dhamar city, Republic of Yemen.
Khaled Abdulkareem A Al-Moyed Medical Microbiology and Clinical Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.
Azhar Azher Mohammed Al-Ankoshy Departement of physiology, Jabir Ibn Hayyan Medical University, Faculty of Medicine, Iraq.

10.22270/ujpr.v6i6.697

Keywords:

antibiotic sensitivity, bacteriological causes, conjunctivitis, neonates, ophthalmia neonatorum (ON), Yemen

Abstract

Background: Ophthalmia neonatorum (ON) is the most widespread eye infection occurring in the first 28 days of life. Although most of these cases are benign, some may progress to systemic complications or blindness if left untreated.

Objectives: The current study was conducted with the aim of revealing the bacteriological causes of conjunctivitis in neonates and the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of these bacteria.

Subjects and methods: The study included all neonates at the age of 1 to 28 days presenting at the neonatal nurseries with Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and level II care beds in three hospitals; Authority of Al-Thawra General Hospital, Al-Kuwait University Hospital and Al-Sabeen Maternity and Child Hospital in Sana’a city, Yemen. A full history was taken from each nurse and mothers of the neonates included in the study in which the findings were recorded in a predesigned questionnaire including socio demographic, maternal clinical information and therapeutic interventions. To isolate the causative agent, the conjunctival swabs were inoculated on proper media and bacteria were identified by standard microbiological methods and antibiotic resistance was done for the isolates.

Results: 203 swabs were collected from newborns with eye discharge over a nine-month period. Positive growth rate was 51.7%, males were more affected (57.1%), 80% of affected neonates had low birth weight, 71.4% of preterm infants were most affected (p <0.01). There was a significant relationship between invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilation with neonatal conjunctivitis (p<0.05). Gentamicin showed good in vitro sensitivity to all bacteria isolated, Staphylococcus aureus (83%), Escherichia coli 84.6%, with P. aeruginosa it was 60%.

Conclusion: The vast majority of cases of neonatal conjunctivitis were mild with a high level of occurrence, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the major bacterial agents, neonatal conjunctivitis most likely to be a hospital-acquired infection. There was a significant association between phototherapy, non-invasive ventilation and incidence of neonatal conjunctivitis . Gentamicin had high activity against the bacteria isolated in this study.