Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Pediatrics

Background: Neonates are easily prone for bacterial infection. It remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality both among term and preterm infants. Early diagnosis and treatment of the newborn infant with suspected sepsis are essential to prevent severe and life-threatening complications. Compared with the clear and valuable therapeutic options, the diagnosis of suspected neonatal sepsis is challenging. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of platelet count, mean platelet volume (MPV) and red cell distribution width (RDW) for the prediction of neonatal sepsis. Methods: This cross-sectional study was done on 160 newborns divided into 3 groups: group A (57 newborns): proven neonatal sepsis, group B (51 newborns): probable neonatal sepsis and Group C (52 newborns): controls. All patients in the study were subjected to adequate assessment of history, full clinical examination, complete blood count including (MPV and RDW), C - reactive protein (CRP) and blood culture & CSF culture. Results: The baseline platelet count of septic cases was lower than controls with a statistically significant difference. The mean platelet count in the three groups was 171.53 ± 156.55, 180.25 ± 150.96 and 293.46 ± 157.49 (103/cmm), respectively (P< 0.001). The mean MPV values among the groups A, B and C were 11.21± 1.07, 10.92 ± 1.08 and 10.90 ± 1.12 fl, respectively (P= 0.174). The baseline MPV of septic cases was higher than controls with no statistically significant difference

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