Estimate the Prevalence and Pattern of Serious Bacterial Infections (SBIS) in Febrile Young Infants

Aims and Objectives - To estimate the prevalence and pattern of serious bacterial infections (SBIs) in febrile young infants. Material and Methods-The study was conducted in the Postgraduate Department of Pediatrics, G. B. Pant hospital, an associated hospital of Govt. Medical College Srinagar, which is a referral tertiary care hospital for the children of Kashmir valley. The study was a prospective non-randomized study conducted from April 2011 to March 2012. All infants of age 30-89 days admitted in hospital with rectal temperature greater than 38-C/100.4-F without an apparent focus of infection on history and clinical examination were included in the study. Results - Total of 149 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The prevalence of SBI in our study was 26.2 % (39 out of 149 patients were positive for serious bacterial infection). Urinary tract infection in 16 which was 41.0 % (out of 39 SBIs), pneumonia 9 (23.1 %), Occult bacteremia 8 (20.5 %) and bacterial meningitis 6 (15.4 %). Conclusion - Prevalence of 26.2 % of serious bacterial infection in our study was high, as our hospital is a tertiary care, referral centre for sick patients. Urinary tract infection was most common followed by pneumonia, then occult bacteremia and finally bacterial meningitis. Pneumonia in our study was 23.9 % which was quite high, might be because of the fact that study happened at a colder place, which could be a risk factor for more lower airway diseases.