Predicting Outcome in Neonates with Possible Clinical Sepsis by Estimating an Early Score for Neonatal Acute...

To determine role of Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology-II (SNAP-II) and its individual parameters assessed within 12 h of suspicion of neonatal sepsis in predicting outcomes; study its distribution across gestational ages and determine its relation with survival duration among expired neonates.

This prospective observational study conducted in a newborn unit of a tertiary care teaching hospital over 1 year included intramural neonates with birth weight ≥1000 g and gestation ≥28 weeks suspected with sepsis and assigned SNAP-II score within 12 h of suspicion. On day 14 of enrollment, they were categorized into three outcome groups: death (D), survival with organ dysfunction (SOD) and survival without organ dysfunction (SWOD).

One hundred and ten neonates were enrolled and 100 analyzed. Mean SNAP-II score was 22 ± 22 (median: 13; interquartile range: 5-32.5). Seventy-six percent, 16% and 8% neonates belonged to SWOD, D and SOD groups, respectively. SNAP-II score and its individual parameters varied significantly among all outcome groups (p < 0.001). SNAP-II cutoffs of 44/115, 44/115, 38/115 and 33/115 were found to be highly predictive of D, D vs. SOD, D/SOD vs. SWOD and SWOD vs. SOD, respectively (sensitivity: 87.5-99%; specificity: 75-99%). The score was unaffected by gestational age (p = 0.80). Neonates with culture positive sepsis/meningitis had higher SNAP-II scores (p = 0.001).

SNAP-II and its individual parameters found to have high sensitivity and specificity in predicting outcomes in possible neonatal sepsis and may have a role in predicting severity of disease progression and rapidity of deterioration among non-survivors, pending validation in larger studies.