WBC profile of neonatal septicemia cases.

Background
Neonatal sepsis, a leading cause of newborn mortality, arises from systemic infections due to an immature immune system. Its subtle early symptoms complicate timely diagnosis. Hematological parameters act as an indicator for early detection, crucial for prompt treatment, improving prognosis, and are not a challenging or cumbersome process.
Aim
The primary objective was to evaluate the significance of hematological parameters including red blood cell (RBC), WBC, and platelet counts in the context of neonatal sepsis.
Methods
This hospital-based cohort study examined 73 neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, India during the period of January 2023 to March 2024. All the new born patients were presented with blood culture-confirmed septicemia.
Results
The investigation identified Klebsiella pneumoniae as the most prevalent etiological agent (26.02%), followed by Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci (CONS) and Acinetobacter baumannii (both 8.2%). Alterations in total leukocyte count and hematocrit were observed in 57% and 68.1% of cases, respectively, providing a prompt indication of infection status. Subsequent analyses revealed prominent leukocytosis, hematocrit irregularities, and thrombocytopenia, frequently manifesting in septic cases and demonstrating potential as early markers for neonatal sepsis.
Conclusion
The study highlights the diagnostic value of hematological alterations, such as leukocytosis and hematocrit distortion, in the prompt identification of septicemia among neonates. Based on the findings, it is recommended that routine hematological screening to be integrated as a standard component of neonatal sepsis diagnosis for rapid investigation of neonatal sepsis.

背景
新生儿败血症（Neonatal sepsis）是引发新生儿死亡的主要诱因，其发病源于免疫系统发育未成熟所致的全身感染。该病早期症状隐匿，给及时诊断带来了极大挑战。血液学参数（hematological parameters）可作为早期检测的指标，其检测过程简便易行，不会带来过重的操作负担，且对于及时治疗、改善预后至关重要。
研究目的
本研究的核心目标为评估红细胞（RBC）、白细胞（WBC）及血小板计数等血液学参数在新生儿败血症诊疗中的价值。
研究方法
本研究为基于医院的队列研究，纳入了2023年1月至2024年3月期间，印度金奈萨维塔医学院附属医院新生儿重症监护病房（NICU）收治的73名新生儿。所有纳入研究的新生儿均经血培养证实为败血症。
研究结果
本研究鉴定出肺炎克雷伯菌（Klebsiella pneumoniae）为最主要的病原菌（占比26.02%），其次为凝固酶阴性葡萄球菌（Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci，CONS）与鲍曼不动杆菌（Acinetobacter baumannii，二者占比均为8.2%）。分别有57%和68.1%的病例出现白细胞总数及血细胞比容异常，可快速提示感染状态。后续分析显示，显著白细胞增多、血细胞比容异常及血小板减少症在败血症病例中较为常见，提示其具备作为新生儿败血症早期生物标志物的潜力。
研究结论
本研究证实了白细胞增多、血细胞比容异常等血液学指标异常在新生儿败血症快速筛查中的诊断价值。基于本研究结果，建议将常规血液学筛查纳入新生儿败血症诊断的标准流程，以实现新生儿败血症的快速排查。