[Usefulness of a scoring system based on selected hematologic values in early diagnosis of neonatal bacterial...

The aim of our work is to estimate usefulness of morphological blood tests, as simple to make and easy to estimation, in screening diagnostics of neonatal infections. We chose the following indications for estimation, as possible to obtain in every hospital: total leucocyte count, total neutrophil count, total immature neutrophil count, total thrombocyte count, ratio of immature neutrophil count to total neutrophil count (I : T), ratio of immature neutrophil count to mature ones. We examined 143 newborns admitted to the Neonatal Pathology Clinic in Zabrze in first week of life, divided into three groups: with sepsis, with suspicion of sepsis, and without infection. We assume that deviation of (at least) three indicators or two (necessary with I : T) is incorrect result. We obtain sensitivity: 54.35% for sepsis, 50% for suspicion of sepsis, and 52,70% for both groups (together with infection), and specificity 98.55%. We consider that our haematological scoring system is helpful in early diagnostics of neonatal bacterial infections.