Reappraisal of the Haematological Scoring System (HSS) for early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis in a remote geographical location of North East India

Abstract

Sepsis in newborns is one of the commonest clinical problems encountered by the paediatricians. It accounts for major cases of neonatal mortality and morbidity. The initial presentation of neonatal septicaemia may be subtle and therefore, it is important not only to recognize the neonates with septicaemia but also to identify the non-infected neonates. The primary objective of the clinician caring for infants at risk for neonatal infections is to identify all potential cases of bacterial diseases quickly and begin antibiotic therapy promptly. It is important, however, to determine which of these cases represent true infection and thus require a full course of antibiotics and which do not. Blood culture is the gold standard for diagnosis, but requires 48-72 hours for the final report. It is therefore necessary to have a method for early detection of neonatal sepsis for prompt initiation of antibiotic therapy. This study is designed to evaluate the haematological scoring system put forward by Rodwell for early diagnosis of neonatal septicaemia. Keywords: Early diagnosis, Haematological scoring, Neonatal sepsis