Early diagnosis of septicaemia in infants with respiratory distress in the tropics.

Abstract

A prospective study of buffy coat microscopy of 108 infants with respiratory distress during the first 48 h of life was undertaken. Thirty-two infants (29.6%)had positive blood cultures. The buffy coat was stained with methylene blue and with Gram's stain. Using methylene blue staining, 94% shared organisms in the buffy coat. Whereas using Gram's stain only 50% were positive--all of which were also positive with methylene blue. Twenty-four infants with negative blood cultures had radiological signs of pneumonia. Of these, 83% showed organisms in the buffy coat with both methylene blue and Gram staining. We conclude that buffy coat microscopy provides a simple and reliable guide in the early diagnosis of neonatal septicaemia or lung infection in infants with respiratory distress.