Published Paper Details:

BACKGROUND: Neonatal sepsis is the leading cause of newborn mortality and morbidity worldwide. To combat the problem it should be diagnosed promptly and treated adequately. OBJECTIVES: to look for the correlation of C reactive protein and leucopenia in blood culture proven sepsis cases and culture negative suspected sepsis babies METHOD: The study was conducted in one of the busiest hospitals of Jorhat, Assam. It is a hospital based case-control observational study. Cases were neonates with bacterial blood culture positive and controls were gestational age matched babies with suspected sepsis having negative blood culture. CRP, total count reports were studied. Data was analysed statistically using SPSS.16 RESULTS: Total 602 blood cultures were sent during the study period out of which 46(7.6%) were bacterial culture positive[ 29 ( 63%) were males and 17 (37%) were females]. Early Onset sepsis were 27(59%) and 19 (41%) were Late onset sepsis were 19 (41%). CRP(p=0.005) and leucopenia(p=0.036) had significant correlation with culture positive sepsis. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of CRP was 74%, 54% , 61% and 68% respectively and that of leucopenia was 9%,100% , 100% and 53% respectively. Mean CRP was 11.28 mg/dl and mean white-cell count was 12,175/mm� in culture positive sepsis. CONCLUSION: CRP and leucopenia has significant correlation with culture positive sepsis. Leucopenia was associated with less number of culture positive cases but its specificity and positive predictive value were very high. Leucopenia was associated more with early onset sepsis. These diagnostic markers can be used in early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis and can help in deciding the use of antibiotics in suspected cases and in high risk cases. However, clinical diagnosis of sepsis is also very important and should always be considered in deciding the management of neonatal sepsis.