Neonatal Sepsis Diagnosis And Treatment Challenges A Prospective Study

Abstract

Background:
Neonatal sepsis represents a fatal condition that makes significant contributions to neonatal deaths within developing nations. Limited diagnostic techniques combine with confusing clinical characteristics to make on-time diagnosis challenging. Healthcare providers face delayed treatment as well as poor medical results and increased antibiotic resistances due to this situation.

Objectives:
This study investigates the diagnostic problems and treatment results of sepsis in newborns while examining clinical and laboratory indicators to detect sepsis early and provide successful therapy.

Study design:  A prospective study.

Place and duration of study: Nursery Unit Women and children teaching hospital MTI bannu from Jan 2023 to Jan 2024

Methods:
The study was carried out as a prospective study assessment in the NICU of Nursery Unit Women and children teaching hospital MTI bannu from Jan 2023 to Jan 2024. Included 100 neonates who displayed clinical signs of sepsis. Measurements of blood cultures together with CRP and procalcitonin levels were collected. The NICU started empirical antibiotic treatment by following their existing local guidelines. In the statistical analysis of this research SPSS version 24.0 was utilized with p<0.05 as the significance threshold.

Results:
100 neonates included 62 males together with 38 females. The medical staff collected the data from neonates who had a mean age of 5.2 days ± 2.1 days. Klebsiella pneumoniae along with E. coli were the most frequently isolated organisms from blood cultures in patients where results were positive at a rate of 32%. An elevated CRP level above 10 mg/L was detected in 76% and procalcitonin levels above 0.5 ng/mL appeared in 68% of the studied neonatal population. Testing revealed that hospitalized neonates spent an average of 11.4 days until discharge. Physicians who started treatment as soon as possible observed better patient results (p = 0.021) yet the fatality rate reached 12%.

Conclusion:
The diagnosis of neonatal sepsis presents clinical challenges because symptoms are ambiguous and blood culture detection ability is limited. Current research demonstrates the value of CRP and procalcitonin in early sepsis detection even though they only provide guidance rather than definitive results. The survival rate improves when sepsis diagnosis happens early and doctors provide antibiotic treatment that matches the bacterial resistance patterns in their area. The healthcare system requires both speedier diagnostic equipment and established protocols for antibiotic prescription.