NEONATAL BACTERIAL SEPTICEMIA IN A TROPICAL AREA - 4-YEAR EXPERIENCE IN GUADELOUPE (FRENCH-WEST-INDIES)

During a four-year study (1987-1990) at the Neonatal Department, Unive rsity Hospital Pointe-a-Pitre (French West Indies), blood culture was systematically performed on all admitted newborns. The incidence of se pticemia was 48 of 1000 admissions and 8.9 of 1000 inborn live births. Among the 107 neonatal positive blood cultures, group B streptococcus accounted for 37% of blood culture isolates and was the most frequent cause of septicemia. The overall mortality rate was 8.4%. The inciden ce of neonatal bacterial septicemia was among the high rates reported in the literature. The incidence of neonatal bacterial septicemia is d iscussed as a public health problem in perinatology in Guadeloupe in s pite of good medical care. A review of the literature on bacterial sep ticemia in tropical or developing countries compared to the Guadeloupe an experience allows speculation that this problem might be underestim ated in third world countries.