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

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.