Kumar R, Kausch SL, Gummadi AKS, Fairchild KD, Abhyankar MM, Petri WA, Sullivan BA. Inflammatory biomarkers and physiomarkers of late-onset sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis in premature infants.
Front Pediatr 2024;
12:1337849. [PMID:
38312920 PMCID:
PMC10834753 DOI:
10.3389/fped.2024.1337849]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Background
Early diagnosis of late-onset sepsis (LOS) and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in very low birth weight (VLBW, <1,500 g) infants is challenging due to non-specific clinical signs. Inflammatory biomarkers increase in response to infection, but non-infectious conditions also cause inflammation. Cardiorespiratory data contain physiological biomarkers, or physiomarkers, of sepsis that may be useful in combination with inflammatory hematologic biomarkers for sepsis diagnosis.
Objectives
To determine whether inflammatory biomarkers measured at the time of LOS or NEC diagnosis differ from times without infection and whether biomarkers correlate with cardiorespiratory sepsis physiomarkers in VLBW infants.
Methods
Remnant plasma sample collection from VLBW infants occurred with blood draws for routine laboratory testing and suspected sepsis. We analyzed 11 inflammatory biomarkers and a pulse oximetry sepsis warning score (POWS). We compared biomarker levels obtained at the time of gram-negative (GN) bacteremia or NEC, gram-positive (GP) bacteremia, negative blood cultures, and no suspected infection.
Results
We analyzed 188 samples in 54 VLBW infants. Several biomarkers were increased at the time of GN LOS or NEC diagnosis compared with all other samples. POWS was higher in patients with LOS and correlated with five biomarkers. IL-6 had 78% specificity at 100% sensitivity to detect GN LOS or NEC and added information to POWS.
Conclusions
Inflammatory plasma biomarkers discriminate sepsis due to GN bacteremia or NEC and correlate with cardiorespiratory physiomarkers.
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