Umbilical cord serum procalcitonin, an early diagnostic marker of early neonatal sepsis

The prognosis of early neonatal sepsis is significantly associated with rapid diagnosis and appropriate antibiotic therapy. Since blood culture has been reported positive in less than 16% of neonatal sepsis cases, various biochemical markers have been evaluated. This study was performed to evaluate the umbilical cord blood procalcitonin (PCT) as an early diagnostic marker of early neonatal sepsis.

This cross-sectional study included 100 neonates in two groups of case and control. The PCT level of umbilical cord blood was measured by immunoluminoassay method and PCT=2-10 ng/ml,./5-2ng/ml and >10ng/ml were considered positive, weak positive and strong positive respectively. Sepsis screening tests and culture from blood or other sterile fluids were studied in the case group.

The PCT mean was 1.39±1.52 in the case group (sepsis) and 0.17±0.05ng/ml in the control group and finally, the PCT level was significantly higher in all cases in the proven sepsis group so that it was between 2-10 ng/ml in most cases.

The result of our study showed that the mean value of PCT level in umbilical cord blood was higher in the sepsis group, and it was higher than the other two groups of sepsis in the group with proven sepsis (positive culture).