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This study evaluates the effectiveness of procalcitonin as a biomarker for diagnosing neonatal sepsis.

April 1, 2026BMC PediatricsOpen Access

Neonatal sepsis: any role for procalcitonin as a diagnostic marker?

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Cross-sectional study assesses procalcitonin's diagnostic accuracy in neonates, implying its potential as a valuable tool.

This study evaluates the effectiveness of procalcitonin as a biomarker for diagnosing neonatal sepsis.
Conducted a cross-sectional study with 75 neonates suspected of sepsis.
Gathered sociodemographic and clinical data using structured questionnaires.
Measured serum procalcitonin levels via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Performed blood culture as the gold standard for diagnosis.
Calculated diagnostic indices including sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV.
55 out of 75 neonates (73.3%) had culture-confirmed sepsis.
At a PCT cut-off of ≥ 2 ng/mL, sensitivity was 72.7%, and NPV was 57.1%.
Specificity and PPV were 100% across all neonates.
Procalcitonin demonstrated significantly higher AUC (0.964) for early-onset sepsis compared to late-onset (0.788).
Most common microbial isolate was Escherichia coli, constituting 34.5% of cases.

Ezerioha et al. (2026) studied this question.

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