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Research Article: Early Diagnostic Markers of Late-Onset Neonatal Sepsis

Date Published: 2023-09-20

Abstract:
Objective: Early diagnosis of nosocomial infections in newborns is a great challenge, because in the initial phase of systemic infection, clinical symptoms are often non-specific, and routinely used hematological markers are not sufficiently informative. The aim of this study was to determine the potential of early inflammatory markers to diagnose late-onset neonatal sepsis—procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 8 (IL-8) and endocan (ESM-1). Material and methods: A prospective clinical–epidemiological study was conducted in a third-level NICU in Pleven, Bulgaria. Patients with suspected late-onset sepsis and healthy controls were tested. A sandwich ELISA method was used to measure the serum concentrations of biomarkers. Results: Sixty newborns were included, of which 35% symptomatic and infected, 33.3% symptomatic but uninfected and 31.7% asymptomatic controls. The mean values of PCT, IL-6, I/T index and PLT differ significantly in the three groups. For ESM-1, IL-8 and CRP, the difference was statistically insignificant. The best sensitivity (78%) and negative predictive value (84%) was found for IL-6. The combinations of PCT + IL-6 and PCT + IL-6+ I/T+ PLT showed very good diagnostic potential. Conclusion: The introduction into the routine practice of indicators such as PCT and IL-6 may provide an opportunity to promptly optimize the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to LOS.

Introduction:
Nosocomial infections are a serious problem in neonatal intensive care units—they are seen as one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality among neonates. They develop after the 72nd hour of admission and occur in relation to the patient’s medical care [1]. A major concern among these infections is the late neonatal sepsis, which refers to an infection involving the bloodstream and leading to abnormalities in the systemic circulation [2]. Since the early 1980s, epidemiological studies have observed a general…

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