Elevated Red Cell Distribution Width as a Useful Marker in Neonatal Sepsis.

Area of Science:

• Neonatal Medicine
• Hematology
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Neonatal sepsis is a critical cause of illness and death in neonatal intensive care units.
• Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a recognized prognostic indicator across various medical conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the diagnostic utility of Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) in identifying neonatal sepsis.
• To determine if RDW can serve as an effective biomarker for neonatal sepsis.

Main Methods:

• An observational, retrospective cohort study was performed on newborns in a tertiary care university hospital from 2016 to 2019.
• Patients were categorized into sepsis and control groups, with demographic and laboratory data, including RDW, analyzed.
• Statistical analyses included ROC curve analysis and multivariable logistic regression.

Main Results:

• Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) levels were significantly higher in the neonatal sepsis group compared to the control group (P=0.001).
• The area under the ROC curve for RDW in diagnosing sepsis was 0.799.
• An RDW threshold of 17.4% demonstrated 60% sensitivity and 88.3% specificity for neonatal sepsis (P=0.001).
• Multivariable analysis indicated a positive association between RDW and sepsis (OR: 2.71; 95% CI: 2.19-3.36; P=0.001).

Conclusions:

• Elevated Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a significant finding in neonatal sepsis.
• RDW presents a valuable, easily accessible biomarker for the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis.
• RDW can be considered a useful alternative or adjunct to existing sepsis assessment tools in neonates.