Predominant bacterial agents of childhood XXXX in Jos.

@entity1 @entity801 @entity295 @entity5152 @entity5746 @entity4005 @entity5505 @entity526
Blood cultures were performed on 891 @entity1 (aged 1 month-16 years) who presented at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) with presumed diagnosis of @entity295 , over a three year period (January 1994-December 1996) in order to determine the predominant bacterial agents. One hundred and thirty-nine (15.6%) out of 891 blood cultures were positive. Five of the blood cultures yielded double isolates. Staph. aureus was the commonest bacterial agent isolated and accounted for 36.0%, of all the isolates. @entity4005 spp and @entity5746 spp each accounted for 18.7% and 15.8% respectively. Other bacterial agents isolated included @entity526 7.9%, coliforms (untyped) 6.5%, Pseudomonas spp 3.6%, Proteus spp 2.2% and, miscellaneous organisms 9.3%. Ninety-six percent, 84.0% and 81.0% of @entity5746 spp., Staph. aureus and @entity4005 spp. isolated were sensitive to @entity801 respectively. Forty percent of the Staph. aureus isolated was resistant to @entity5152 . Two (1.7%) of the Staph aureus isolated were resistant to all the antibiotics tested. With the exception of Pseudomonas spp (80.0% sensitive only to @entity5505 ), sensitivity of most of the organisms to the third generation cephalosporins was generally excellent. It is concluded that @entity801 remains an effective drug in childhood septicaemi. Although the sensitivity to the third generation cephalosporins remains excellent, these drugs should be reserved for life-threatening cases and those that fail to respond to initial therapy with @entity801 .
