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Open Access
CC BY 4.0 · Journal of Health and Allied Sciences NU 2024; 14(02): 174-177
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1768593
Original Article

Utility of Hematological Parameters in Early Diagnosis of Neonatal Sepsis in Comparison to C-Reactive Protein

Authors

  • Divya Joshi 

    1   Renal and Transplant Pathology Fellow at Institute of Kidney Disease and Research Centre, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

  • Shetty K. Padma 

    2   Department of Pathology, KS Hegde Medical Academy, Nitte (deemed to be) University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India

  • Jayaprakash Shetty K.

    2   Department of Pathology, KS Hegde Medical Academy, Nitte (deemed to be) University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India

  • Shreya Goel

    3   Fellow in Diagnostic Hematology, Bharati Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, India

  • Abena Hidangmayum 

    4   Department of Pathology, Babina Diagnostics, Imphal, Manipur, India

Funding None.
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Abstract

Background Neonatal sepsis is the most common cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity. As neonatal sepsis presents with subtle symptoms and signs, decision to start empirical antibiotics is most often based on risk profile. Hematological parameters and C-reactive protein (CRP) are routinely done as a part of sepsis screening, but isolation of microorganism on blood culture is the gold standard for diagnosis of sepsis.

Methodology One-hundred neonates with suspected sepsis were studied and their hematological parameters, hematological scoring system (HSS), and CRP were correlated to blood culture.

Results Among the study population, immature to total neutrophil count (I:T) ratio had the best sensitivity (94.1%) and negative predictive value (83.3%), followed by HSS with a sensitivity of 64.7% and negative predictive value of 68.4%, whereas CRP was more specific (75.9%).

Conclusion HSS and CRP are good predictors of diagnosis of neonatal sepsis. I:T ratio had the best sensitivity and negative predictive value.

Keywords

neonatal sepsis - C-reactive protein - I:T ratio - hematological scoring system

Institutional Review Board Approval

Obtained.




Publication History

Article published online:
19 June 2023

© 2023. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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