Affiliations: Departments of Pediatrics and Neonatology,
Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Soura, Srinagar, Kashmir,
India | Pediatric Hospital Government Medical College
Srinagar, Kashmir, India
Note: [] Correspondence: Dr. Qazi Iqbal, Pediatrics and Neonatology,
Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Soura, Srinagar, Kashmir, 190011,
India. Tel.: +9419081566; E-mail: drqaziiqbal@yahoo.co.in
Abstract: The study has been conducted in neonatal intensive care unit of
Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, which is a tertiary care
hospital. Thrombocytopenia and other hematological abnormalities are very
commonly observed in neonatal infections. The objective of the study is to
determine the frequency and severity of thrombocytopenia and other
hematological abnormalities in neonatal sepsis of different microbiological
origins, and their impact on morbidity and mortality. During a period of five
years we studied all the newborn babies admitted, with the diagnosis of sepsis,
in neonatal intensive care unit. In every sepsis positive patient we observed
neutrophil count, micro ESR, C-reactive protein, severity and duration of
thrombocy-topenia and their relation with the patient's hospital course,
morbidity and mortality. Of 194 Culture positive cases 49 (25.25% cases had
leucopenia with 100% mortality; 93 (47.93%) had thrombocytopenia with
mortality directly proportional to severity of thrombocytopenia. In neonates
with fungal and Gram-negative sepsis thrombocytopenia was comparatively severe
and prolonged. Different pathogens causing sepsis have different effects on
hematologic parameters. Neonatal sepsis is frequently associated with
thrombocytopenia. Neonatal sepsis with neutropenia or with thrombocytopenia is
associated with higher mortality. These hematological parameters constitute a
simple and cost effective diagnostic tool for neonatal sepsis and guide
antibiotic therapy, platelet transfusion, blood transfusion and other
modalities of treatment.
