A STUDY TO DETERMINE THE ROLE OF HEMATOLOGICAL PROFILE, SCORING SYSTEM, AND CRP IN EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF NEONATAL SEPSIS

Objective: The objective of the study was to study the hematological parameters according to Rodwell’s Hematological Scoring System (HSS) in neonatal sepsis, to evaluate the efficacy of hematological parameters in the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis, and also to correlate the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) with degree of neonatal sepsis. Neonatal sepsis is the most important cause of morbidity and mortality, especially among low-birth-weight and preterm babies in developing countries. According to the WHO, out of 4 million neonatal deaths all over the world annually, over 35% are due to infections in neonates and 99% of them occur in developing countries. The incidence of neonatal sepsis in India according to the data from the National Neonatal Perinatal Database (NNPD, 2002-03) is 30/1000 live births. The incidence is 10 times higher in infants with birth weight