Aspazija Sofijanova, Sonja Bojadzieva, Elizabeta Shuperliska and Olivera Jordanova
Objective: Sepsis in newborns with RDS is essential for life-threatening condition and still represents an important cause of mortality and morbidity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive values of procalcitonin (PCT) as an early diagnostic and prognostic biochemical marker for sepsis in newborns with RDS.
Methods: The study were included 85 newborns with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and proven sepsis and admitted in the Intensive Care Unit at the University Children Hospital-Skopje in period of December 2018 till May 2020 y. Procalcitonin levels were measured by using a immunoassay system Vidas based on the ELFA principles.
Results: The newborns with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and proven sepsis admitted in the Intensive Care Unit at the University Children Hospital-Skopje have been divided into two groups. The first group included 32 preterm newborns with RDS and proven sepsis and the second group included 43 term newborns with RDS and proven sepsis. The average gestational age of the preterm newborns with RDS and proven sepsis was 36.04 ± 3.2 weeks and the term newborn with RDS and proven sepsis was 36.23 ± 3.5 weeks. The average birth weight of the preterm newborns with RDS and proven sepsis was 2290.5 ± 731.2 grams, and the term newborn with RDS and proven sepsis was 2785.2 ± 588. 1 grams. There is statistically significant difference in average PCT between the two groups overtime (p<0.05). There is statistically significant difference in average PCT between the two groups overtime procedure (MV, BCPAP) (p<0.05).
Conclusions: PCT is promising sepsis markers in preterm newborns with RDS, capable of complementing clinical signs and routine laboratory parameters suggestive of severe infection at the time of ICU admission.
