Objective: This study evaluated the CRP/albumin ratio as a potential indicator of bacteremia in neonatal sepsis among neonates admitted to a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. Study Design: Cross-Sectional Study. Place and Duration of Study: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Jan to Dec 2024. Methodology: This study investigated a total of 192 neonates with neonatal sepsis, and data were collected using a proforma. Laboratory tests were performed to measure C-reactive protein (CRP) and albumin levels, and statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 23. Results: Our study analyzed 192 neonates with sepsis to evaluate the CRP/Albumin ratio as a potential biomarker. All variables exhibited non-normal distributions (Shapiro-Wilk p<0.001). Neonates had a mean age of 10.74±7.31 days (IQR =9) and birthweight of 2.676±0.63 kg, with elevated leukocyte counts (17,102.08±13,132.49 cells/mm³, IQR =27,500) confirming sepsis. Hypoalbuminemia (3.066±0.61 g/dL, IQR =0.90) and high CRP (12.87±8.89, IQR =10.20) were observed. Hospital stays averaged 2.85±1.52 days (IQR =3). The CRP/Albumin ratio (4.36±3.17, IQR =14.4) demonstrated significant variability, suggesting its potential as a severity marker in neonatal sepsis. 152(79.2%) tested positive for bacteremia. Clinical symptoms included fever in 148(77%) neonates, respiratory distress in 119(62%), and feeding intolerance in 108(56%). No significant association was found between CAR and variables such as type of sepsis onset or sex. Conclusion: CRP/albumin ratio is a promising marker for neonatal sepsis. However, our study did not find a statistically significant relationship between CRP/albumin ratio and late-onset neonatal sepsis.
Khan et al. (Tue,) studied this question.
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