HerpeZ

Septicaemia is an important cause of maternal, neonatal and paediatric morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. The current routine diagnostic method of culture and drug susceptibility testing is often too slow with many children dying before microbiology results have been reported back to the ward. We hence set out to undertake a simple descriptive study to determine the prevalence of neonatal sepsis at the University Teaching Hospital, to describe the main etiological agents, and to identify risk factors associated with poor outcomes. This study is now complete and the resulting publications below:

Etiology, Antibiotic Resistance and Risk Factors for Neonatal Sepsis in a Large Referral Center in Zambia. Kabwe M, Tembo J, Chilukutu L, Chilufya M, Ngulube F, Lukwesa C, Kapasa M, Enne V, Wexner H, Mwananyanda L, Hamer DH, Sinyangwe S, Ahmed Y, Klein N, Maeurer M, Zumla A, Bates M. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2016 Jul;35(7):e191-8. (PDF)

Neonatal sepsis and antibiotic resistance in developing countries. Bates M, Kabwe M, Zumla A.