An Evaluation of Novel Immunological Biomarkers for the Diagnosis of Neonatal Sepsis in the Emergency Department
Keywords:
Neonatal sepsis, Early-onset sepsis, Late-onset sepsis, Presepsin, Procalcitonin, microRNAAbstract
Introduction: Sepsis, a common presentation to the Emergency Department (ED), is characterised by a dysregulated and rapidly progressive immunological response causing multi-organ dysfunction. Neonatal sepsis (NS) occurs in infants less than 28 days old and is one of the most common causes of paediatric death. The current gold standard for diagnosis is blood culture. However, a novel combinational approach looking at levels of biomarkers which elevate upon the onset of bacterial sepsis is recommended for diagnosis and prognosis.
Methods: A literature review on biomarkers of NS in the ED.
Results: MiRNAs exhibit altered patterns in NS, and due to their specificity and ease of detection, they also make for potential high yield markers in the ED.
Discussion: While new biomarkers hold promise, further studies are needed before standardisation and recommendation for clinical practice.
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