The role of C-reactive protein in diagnosis of neonatal sepsis

Abstract EN

Across-sectional study was conducted in Amara city hospitals during a period from March 2013 till February 2014.

The study sample includes 88 neonates (43 with clinical features of septicemia and 45 neonates who were normal).

Blood culture and C-reactive protein tests were done for all neonates.

In comparison with the result of blood culture, the C-reactive protein test was found that 42 out of 45 neonates as true negatives, the remaining 3 neonates showing sepsis and were considered as false negative.

While 32 out of 43 neonates were considered as true positive.

Finally the study showed that the sensitivity of C-reactive protein examination was 74.4 %, specificity was 93 %, positive predictive value was 91 % and negative predictive value was 79 %, so the C-reactive protein had important role in detection of the neonatal sepsis and consider an supportive tool to gold standard (blood culture) test for diagnosis of septicemia.