The Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) Can Predict Sepsis’s Presence and Severity in Malnourished Infants—A Single Center Experience

The Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) Can Predict Sepsis’s Presence and Severity in Malnourished Infants—A Single Center Experience

Sepsis represents one of the leading causes of death in newborns and infants, and prompt diagnosis is essential for achieving favorable outcomes. Regarding malnourished children with concurrent infection, most studies have focused, besides blood culture, on C-reactive protein and procalcitonin. Beca...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Children (Basel) Vol. 10; no. 10; p. 1616
Main Authors: Domnicu, Alina Emilia, Boia, Eugen Radu, Mogoi, Mirela, Manea, Aniko-Maria, Marcovici, Tamara Marcela, Mărginean, Otilia, Boia, Marioara
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Basel MDPI AG 28-09-2023
MDPI
Subjects:
acute-phase response
Age
Automation
Bacterial infections
Biomarkers
Blood
C-reactive protein
Chronic illnesses
Health aspects
Heart rate
illness-related malnutrition
Infants (Newborn)
Infection
Infections
Intensive care
Laboratories
Lymphocytes
Malnutrition
Medical examination
Medical research
Medicine, Experimental
Neonatology
Neutrophils
Patients
pediatric
Pediatrics
Premature birth
Sepsis
Septic shock
Statistical analysis
Variables
Ventilators
Romania
Switzerland
Japan
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Summary:Sepsis represents one of the leading causes of death in newborns and infants, and prompt diagnosis is essential for achieving favorable outcomes. Regarding malnourished children with concurrent infection, most studies have focused, besides blood culture, on C-reactive protein and procalcitonin. Because malnutrition has a deleterious effect on cellular immune competence, the present study characterized the acute-phase response, including hematological indices, in response to sepsis. Among the examined laboratory biomarkers, procalcitonin and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio were the most accurate discriminators between sepsis patients and those with bacterial infection. Moreover, these two parameters showed a gradual increase between sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock patients (p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis of the sepsis group revealed positive correlations of NLR with prolonged ICU stay (<0.001), acute organ dysfunction (0.038), mechanical ventilation (<0.001), and fatality (<0.001). In summary, our results suggest that the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio can be used as an auxiliary diagnostic index in discriminating the presence and severity of bacterial sepsis in malnourished infants.
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ISSN:2227-9067
2227-9067
DOI:10.3390/children10101616