Neonatal sepsis associated with healthcare in the Guantanamo Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

• Introduction: sepsis is one of the leading causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Identifying prevalent pathogens serves as a guideline for initial empirical therapy and thus reduces the number of complications.
  Objective: to characterize healthcare-associated sepsis in the neonatal intensive care unit of the Hospital General Docente Dr. Agostinho Neto in Guantánamo, from 2023 to 2024.
  Method: an observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was conducted. The study population consisted of 502 newborns diagnosed with healthcare-associated sepsis. A sample of 184 neonates was selected. The variables studied were age at admission, gestational age, birth weight, pathogen isolated, associated risk factors, treatment used, hospital stay, and discharge status.
  Results: neonates weighing 1,000–1,499 g predominated (54.89%) (101) and gestational age less than 37 weeks (51.63%) (95). The predominant risk factor was low birth weight (93.48%) (172). The predominant microorganism was Staphylococcus epidermidis (17.39%) (32). According to the antibiotic regimen used, treatment regimen 1 predominated in 45.65% (84). All neonates were discharged alive.
  Conclusions: the highest number of cases of neonatal sepsis at Guantánamo are preterm and low birth weight infants. The patients studied responded to first-line antimicrobial therapy. The majority of these patients developed uneventfully, with a high survival rate.