Bacterial profile and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of bacterial meningitis among neonates and children at gondar university hospital, northwest ethiopia

Bacterial meningitis account for the highest proportion among cause of morbidity and mortality in neonatology and pediatrics patients and posing considerable challenge in developing countries like Ethiopia. However, information on prevalence of bacterial meningitis and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern among neonates and children in Gondar University hospital is very scarce. This study was aimed to assess the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of bacterial meningitis among childhood attending at University of Gondar Teaching Hospital from 2002-2012. This laboratory based retrospective analysis of 2170 cerebrospinal fluids culture and antimicrobial susceptibility tests were conducted in the Bacteriology laboratory of the department of microbiology at University of Gondar Teaching Hospital within a ten year period between September 2002-2012. Bacterial pathogens were isolated from 97 patients with an isolation rate of 4.5%. The predominant bacteria were Streptococcus pneumoniae 35(36.1%), followed by Nessieria meningitides 28(28.9%) and Haemophilus species 9 (9.3 %). The gram positive bacteria were constituted 52 (54.7%). Among gram positive organism S. pneumoniae showed a high level of drug resistance against co-trimoxazole 24 (68.6%), gentamycin 23(65.7%), tetracycline 14(40 %), penicillin 12(34.3%) and chloramphenicol 9 (25.8%). Of the gram negative bacteria, N. meningitides was found to be resistant to co-trimoxazole 24(85.8%), tetracycline 19(67.8 %), ampicillin 9(32.2%), gentamycin 7 (25%) and penicillin 6 (21. 5%). Multidrug resistance was observed in 61.9% of the isolates. The predominant causes of meningitis in this study are S. pneumoniae, N. meningitides and Haemophilus species. The frequency of single as well as multidrug resistance was very high among the bacterial isolates. Based on the findings a longitudinal study is recommended to determine bacterial meneginitis and antimicrobial susceptibility at large scale to target interventions.