DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2020.v08i05.040

Pages: 1373-1377

Introduction: Neonatal sepsis, a clinical syndrome of bacteremia with systemic signs and symptoms of infection in the first 4 weeks of life is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in newborn. Early diagnosis is critical, as sepsis can progress more rapidly in neonates than in adults. In a developing country like Nepal, where proper medical care and obstetrical facilities are still scarce in the rural areas. With limited resources, early diagnosis and treatment if crucial, may not be achieved. C-reactive protein (CRP) is the most common diagnostic marker of infection. The aims of this study is to evaluate the role of CRP in the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis. Material and Methods: This prospective observational study were done in the department of paediatrics, UCMS-TH, Bhairahawa from May 2019 to March 2020. Clinically suspected neonatal sepsis cases were enrolled in the study. Venous blood were collected before giving any intravenous fluid or antibiotics for complete blood counts, CRP levels, blood sugar and blood culture and send to laboratory within half hour of collection. All patients included in this study were treated accordingly and followed up strictly. Results: A total of 440 patients clinically diagnosed as neonatal sepsis were studied. The mean age was found 10.1±8.5 days with range from 1 to 28 days and more than half (51.6%) babies belonged to age ≤7 days. More than two third 71.4% babies were male and 28.6% were female. 236(53.6%) babies were found CRP positive and 204(46.4%) were CRP negative. 25.5% babies were blood culture positive and 74.5% babies were culture negative.364 (82.73%) babies were cured and 76 (17.27%) were died. Conclusion: CRP is a simple, relatively cheap and sensitive study in prediction of neonatal sepsis. It can be useful test in settings with limited resources. : Serum CRP is the most sensitive marker of sepsis.