The global burden of neonatal sepsis is high (2202 per 100,000 live births), with mortality between 11-19% . 1 It is diagnosed based on the newborn's clinical condition and microbiological sepsis screening tests. Inflammation markers like serum CRP and PCT are also used as effective diagnostic tools. 2 Collection of venous blood for diagnosis is painful , and the results may require a minimum of four days .
To overcome the associated challenges, a recent study on 247 newborns with positive perinatal sepsis scores (PSSs) evaluated the utility of cord blood vs. venous blood PCT in the early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis. 2 Statistically, cord blood PCT had significantly greater diagnostic accuracy (80.9%) with higher sensitivity (44.4%) and specificity (86.4%) than venous blood PCT. 2 These findings suggest that cord blood PCT is a valuable early diagnosis marker for neonatal sepsis with…
