Abstract Background: Neonatal sepsis, a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, is a systemic response to infection in the first month of life. Its early diagnosis is challenging due to nonspecific clinical manifestations and the time-intensive nature of blood cultures, the diagnostic gold standard. The Hematological Sepsis Scoring (HSS) system, introduced in 1988, offers a rapid diagnostic alternative using hematological parameters. To enhance diagnostic accuracy, the Modified HSS incorporates additional parameters, such as nucleated RBC, and assigns higher weightage to neutropenia. This study evaluates the utility of the Modified HSS in the early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis, aiming to facilitate prompt treatment and reduce neonatal mortality. Methods: This descriptive analytical study was conducted over a year at B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, involving neonates >34 weeks of gestation within four weeks of birth, clinically suspected of sepsis. Blood samples were analyzed using Modified Hematological Sepsis Scoring (HSS) and BacT/ALERT for culture. Purposive sampling selected 147 cases. Ethical clearance was obtained, and informed consent secured. Hematological parameters, including TLC, ANC, IT ratio, and nucleated RBC, were assessed, and cultures were processed for microbial identification and susceptibility. Results: The study included 147 neonates with suspected sepsis (male:female ratio 1.33). Blood cultures were positive in 21 cases, with early-onset sepsis predominant (81%). Modified Hematological Sepsis Scoring (HSS) showed high diagnostic accuracy: sensitivity (90.48%), specificity (96.83%), and accuracy (95.91%) for HSS ≥4. Among hematological parameters, degenerative changes had the highest sensitivity (95.23%), and nucleated RBC showed the highest accuracy (91.15%). Staphylococcus aureus (52.3%) was the most common pathogen. Modified HSS proved effective for early sepsis diagnosis. Conclusion: Modified HSS is an effective and accurate tool for early neonatal sepsis diagnosis, with high sensitivity, especially when using a score ≥4 as the cutoff. The inclusion of nucleated RBC enhances sensitivity, while the system’s diagnostic accuracy is improved by recalibrating parameters. Modified HSS, utilizing common hematological parameters, shows significant potential for clinical application.
Baruwal et al. (Tue,) studied this question.