Platelet Indices for Early Diagnosis of Neonatal Sepsis: A Prospective Single-Centre Cohort Study

We conducted a 6-month prospective cohort (N = 172) of neonates undergoing evaluation for suspected sepsis to assess the diagnostic and prognostic utility of platelet indices at presentation (T0). Mean platelet volume (MPV) discriminated cultureproven sepsis with AUC 0.78; at the optimal threshold (10.3 fL), sensitivity and specificity were 76% and 73%, respectively. MPV outperformed PDW and plateletcrit and was comparable to P-LCR. Adding MPV to a base model (gestational age, birth weight, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin) improved discrimination (AUC 0.81→0.85; ΔAUC +0.04) and reclassification. Higher MPV correlated with inotrope/ventilation requirements and 7-day mortality. Findings support MPV as an inexpensive adjunct to early neonatal sepsis assessment alongside clinical evaluation, CRP/PCT, and blood cultures, pending standardization and external validation.