Saving newborn babies in Quelimane Central Hospital, Mozambique: A CHAMPS-Based Intervention
July 30, 2024
Sepsis is a severe and potentially fatal clinical syndrome characterized by systemic inflammatory response to an infection, resulting in organ failure. Prevention of infections that lead to sepsis is crucial. Hospital acquired infections in newborn babies usually lead to sepsis as has been observed at Quelimane Central Hospital through the CHAMPS findings. To address this problem, CHAMPS in collaboration with Department of Pediatrics from Quelimane Central Hospital initiated surveillance for severe invasive bacterial diseases. This surveillance aimed to identify sepsis cases early to facilitate timely and appropriate treatment, understand the pathogens associated with sepsis and establish a comprehensive database of newborn infections. Prospective hospital-based surveillance enrolled children suspected of bacteremia, sepsis, or meningitis and collected venous blood and cerebrospinal fluid samples for laboratory investigation. From 2019 to 2023, 992 blood cultures were collected, revealing Klebsiella pneumoniae as a major contributor to severe invasive bacterial diseases, similar to CHAMPS findings. Antibiotic susceptibility testing indicated resistance of K. pneumoniae to multiple antibiotics used in routine care. Lessons learned underscored the importance of consistent clinician requests for blood cultures, effective pathogen identification and antimicrobial resistance testing. Establishing protocols for syndromic detection and reviewing antibiotic protocols are required for successful treatment of K. pneumoniae infections.
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