Cardiac Functions by Tissue Doppler and Speckle Tracking Echocardiography in Neonatal Sepsis and its Correlation with Sepsis Markers and Cardiac Troponin-T

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the right and left ventricle functions and their strain pattern in full term neonates with sepsis and correlate these finding with the laboratory markers of neonatal sepsis. Methods: The study included 40 full term neonates with sepsis and 40 control apparently healthy neonates subjected to examination with tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and 2-D speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) and correlated the findings with serum level of C-reactive protein (CRP), serum procalcitonin (PCT) and cardiac troponin-T (cTnT). Results: The serum levels of CRP, PCT and cTnT were significantly higher in neonates with sepsis than in the controls. There were significant right and left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunctions as evidenced by TDI in the neonates with sepsis than in control group. Both RV and LV global longitudinal stain (GLS) and Tei indices were significantly increased in neonates with sepsis than controls. There were significant positive correlation with LV and RV GLS and Tei indices with CRP, PCT and cTnT serum levels. Conclusion: PCT and CPR are good markers of neonatal sepsis and together with cTnT were correlated with both LV and RV systolic and diastolic dysfunction detected by TDI and STE.