Diagnostic Values of Blood Indices for Neonatal Sepsis

Background: Sepsis is the leading cause of death in newborns, particularly in underdeveloped countries. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are critical in reducing neonatal mortality. Since blood culture results are often unavailable for 48 - 72 hours, other hematologic findings may provide useful information for early diagnosis. Objectives: We examined the relationship between neonatal sepsis and blood indices in order to achieve early diagnosis. Methods: In this hospital-based retrospective multiple-event case-control study, we allocated the neonates into three groups: Culture-positive sepsis, culture-negative sepsis, and neonates without sepsis. We compared the lab data within these three groups. Results: The study included 319 neonates: 209 cases of culture-positive sepsis, 65 cases of culture-negative sepsis, and 45 cases without neonatal sepsis. Pearson's test demonstrated a significant correlation between thrombocytopenia, positive C-reactive protein (CRP), and high cell distribution width with culture-positive sepsis (P = 0.000), indicating a statistical difference between the three groups. The mean CRP and eosinophil levels were higher in the culture-positive group with fungal sepsis. Conclusions: In septic neonates with high CRP levels, particularly in conjunction with eosinophilia, fungal coverage should be considered.