Aim We aimed to evaluate nosocomial infection (NI) rate and antimicrobial susceptibilities of microorganisms causing NI in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Material and method NI afflicting infants admitted to NICU of Bahcesehir University Göztepe Medicalpark Hospital between January 2012 and December 2012 were assessed using Centre For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) criteria. Only culture-positive infants were enrolled.

Results Of 328 infants, 49.1% were preterm. Thirty-five nosocomial infections occurred in 19 (6.4%) patients. Incidence density was 6.8/1000 patient-days. Attact rate per patient was 1.84. Two infants (10.5%) succumbed to death, one with a liver abscess due to Staphylococcus epidermidis, other with Candida albicans sepsis. Ventilator associated-pneumonia (VAP) rate (n = 4) 2.3/1000, sepsis rate (n = 19) 5.7/1000, UTI rate (n = 10) 1.5/1000, wound infection rate (n = 1) 0.1/1000, catheter infection rate (n = 2) 4/1000 and meningitis rate were (n = 1) 0.1/1000. Of 35 nosocomial agents 22 (62.8%) were gram negative (10 Klebsiella spp, 4 Enterobacter, 3 Acinetobacter, 3 E. coli, 2 Peudomonas), 10 (28.5%) were gram positive and 3 (8.6%) were Candida spp. All gram negatives were resistant to cephalosporins. Thirty-one percent of gram negative bacteria were resistant to carbapenems. Carbapenem-resistant gram negative agents were namely Acinetobacter baumanii complex, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter cloacea complex, All bacteria were susceptible to colistine.

Conclusion ESBL positive and carbapenem-resistant gram negative bacteria are threats for NICU. It is of vital importance to implement reasonable antibiotherapy strategies and to propagate standart infection control measures.