What is new in neonatal infection?

Area of Science:

• Neonatology
• Infectious Diseases
• Biomarkers

Background:

• Early neonatal infection diagnosis is challenging due to non-specific clinical symptoms and biomarkers.
• Widespread intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis has decreased infection prevalence but increased antibiotic use in newborns.
• Neonatal antibiotic exposure carries well-documented risks, necessitating targeted use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate procalcitonin (PCT) as a biomarker for differentiating bacterial from viral infections in newborns.
• To explore the utility of cord blood PCT in identifying newborns at very low risk of infection.
• To support the restriction of antibiotic prescriptions to only infected neonates.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent studies on procalcitonin (PCT) for infection diagnosis.
• Analysis of an evidence-based approach combining anamnestic, clinical, and biological data, including PCT.
• Focus on cord blood PCT as a potential diagnostic marker.

Main Results:

• Procalcitonin (PCT) shows promise in differentiating viral from bacterial infections.
• Cord blood PCT may serve as an efficient marker for neonatologists.
• An integrated approach using PCT can help identify low-risk newborns.

Conclusions:

• Restricting neonatal antibiotic use to infected infants is crucial due to potential adverse effects.
• Cord blood procalcitonin (PCT) can aid in reducing unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions.
• An evidence-based strategy incorporating PCT can optimize neonatal infection management.