PURPOSE: To analyze the conjunctival bacterial flora and the antibiotics resistance pattern in preterm newborns at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), in "Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco - UFPE". METHODS: Material from the conjunctival sac was obtained from 48 premature infants eyes that stayed at in NICU more than 48 hours. RESULTS: Culture analysis revealed that 40 (83.3%) were positive and the pathogens most commonly isolated included Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (43.2%) and Staphylococcus aureus (25.0%), being 63.9% of the bacteria multiresistant. Antimicrobial test results demonstrated great sensitivity to gatifloxacin (97.2%), vancomycin (94.4%) and ofloxacin (94.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Conjunctival bacterial flora among newborns in NICU is varied, mainly Gram-positive, usually multiresistant to antibiotics.
Conjunctiva; Drug resistance; Cross infection; Intensive care, neonatal; Infant, premature
