الفهرس 
Neonatal SepsisOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Early and late onset systemic bacterial infection remains a devastating complication and an important cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates.
Neonatal sepsis is hard to differentiate from noninfectious diseases because of its nonspecific symptoms. At present high quality diagnostic tools are still being required. As well as giving accurate pre-opinion about prognosis, these tools are expected to be highly specific, sensitive and fast.
Serum Calprotectin could help to resolve the dilemma of whether to start antibiotics immediately after sepsis screening and when to stop treatment, but there is a need for studies specifically designed to address these issues.
The aim of our study was to investigate diagnostic value of serum calprotectin in VLBW neonates.
This study was conducted on 48 neonates diagnosed as having LOS (confirmed by Rodwell΄s septic score) and 40 neonates with no clinical signs or laboratory evidence for sepsis serving as a control group.
The sepsis group compromised 48 newborns; 27 males (56%) and 21 females (44%), with mean gestational age of (32±1.96 weeks), mean birth weight of (1302±167.86 g), mean serum calprotectin level of (7.12±1.39 miµ/mL).
The control group compromised 40 newborns; 20 males (50%) and 20 females (50%), with mean gestational age of (32.35±2 weeks), mean birth weight of (1371±168.28 g) and mean serum calprotectin level of (1.205 ± 0.697 miµ/mL).
In the sepsis group, 12 (25%) neonates were delivered vaginally, and 36 (75%) neonates were delivered by caesarian section. In the control group, 9 (22.5%) neonates were delivered vaginally, and 31 (77.5%) neonates were delivered by caesarian section.
For all neonates included in the study the following were performed:
1. History taking (to detect risk factors for sepsis).
2. Thorough clinical examination (to detect clinical signs of sepsis).
3. Laboratory investigations:
- Complete blood count (CBC) with differential leucocytic count.
- CRP semi-quantitative assay.
- Blood culture.
- Tracheal aspirate or other body fluid culture, when clinically indicated.
- Serum calprotectin level quantitatively by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with a monoclonal antibody against human IaIp (purchased from Immundiagnostic AG, Germany
The results of our study were:
Serum calprotectin level was higher in sepsis group, and found to be correlated with Rodwell΄s sepsis score and also was correlated with positive blood culture, although Serum calprotectin level was not correlated to Gestational age, Sex, Birth weight, Age at assessment, Multiple gestation or Mode of delivery.
The best cutoff serum calprotectin value for the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis is 2.25 miµ/mL (sensitivity 100%; specificity 97.5%; PPV 98%; NPV 100%).