Assessment of the Biomarkers in Neonatal Sepsis: An Observational Study

Introduction:Infants who exhibit clinical signs of illness are given sepsis workups and put on broad-spectrum antibiotics unless a definitive diagnosis is obtained.Furthermore, inadequate clinical evaluation and delays in identifying sepsis episodes have an effect on the management of the illness.Furthermore, little is known about the precise clinical predictors and biomarkers of poor outcomes from newborn sepsis in low-and middle-income countries.Aims/ objective: To determine and compare the biomarkers in neonatal sepsis versus healthy neonates (control). Materials and Method:In this observational study, 50 patients with neonatal sepsis and 50 neonates without sepsis were evaluated for serum biomarkers.Blood specimens were taken from all neonates before the start of antimicrobial agents for the sepsis work up.The samples included haematological parameters such as platelet count, degenerative manifestation in the neutrophils, culture of the blood, antibiotic sensitivities, total leukocyte count, total neutrophil count, immature neutrophils divided by total neutrophil count (I/T ratio), procalcitonin, and CRP estimation.Results: Incidence of prematurity, and low birth weight were greater in neonates with sepsis as compared to control, but the difference was not significant (p>0.05).CRP, PCT and serum lactate levels were significantly raised in patients with neonatal sepsis as compared to healthy controls.(p<0.0001)CRP, PCT, and I:T ratio was more associated with neonatal sepsis, as compared to leucocytosis and micro-ESR. Conclusion:The present study concludes that serum PCT and CRP levels are a more reliable indication for the early identification of newborn sepsis and for assessing the response of the illness to antibiotic therapy compared to ESR or leukocyte counts.