Skip Navigation

Journal of Tropical Pediatrics 2000 46(5):267-271; doi:10.1093/tropej/46.5.267
© 2000 by Oxford University Press
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Magudumana, O
Right arrow Articles by Carter, A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Magudumana, O
Right arrow Articles by Carter, A.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Serial interleukin 6 measurements in the early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis

O Magudumana, DE Ballot, PA Cooper, J TruslerA, BJ Cory, E ViljoenB and AC Carter

Department of Paediatrics, Johannesburg Hospital, University of Witswatersrand A Deaprtment of Chemical pathology, South African Institute of Medical Research, Johannesburg Hospital B Centre for Epidemiological Research in South Africa (of the Medical Research Council of South Africa)

The objective of the present study was to evaluate serial interleukin 6 (IL6) levels in the early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis. Subjects included 255 neonates from the Neonatal Unit of Johannesburg Hospital evaluated for suspected sepsis between February and May 1998. All infants had IL6, full blood count (FBC), C reactive protein (CRP) and blood cultures done at presentation. CRP and IL6 were repeated after 24 h. Infants were categorized into groups according to the likelihood of infection on the basis of clinical presentation, CRP, FBC and culture results, i.e., group 1 (no infection) to group 4 (definite infection). IL6 was compared between the groups by the U-test of Mann-Whitney; stepwise logistic regression was done to establish the best predictors of infection, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were determined. The initial IL6 level was significantly raised in those infants with possible infection [880.67 pg/ml (2966.04), p value 0.0104], probable infection [422.62 pg/ml (4077.7), p value 0.0021] and definite infection [11164.39 pg/ml (24139.77), p value 0.0000] as compared to those infants without infection [58.65 (182.4)]. The best predictors of infection were the combination of the initial IL6 value and CRP value after 24 h (goodness of fit 97.7 per cent). An initial IL6 value below 20 pg/ml gave a negative predictive value of 90.18 per cent. It is concluded that an IL6 value done at the time of presentation of signs and symptoms suggestive of infection is useful in the early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis. In particular, an initial IL6 value below 20 pg/ml may allow antibiotics to be withheld in a number of infants evaluated for sepsis. There is not benefit in serial determination of IL6 in the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.