[Evaluation of various laboratory tests for the diagnosis of septicemia in the newborn infant].

In order to evaluate the usefulness of some laboratory studies in the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis, a prospective study was done in 56 patients: Group I (n = 19) with a single infectious site, group II (n = 16) with two infectious sites and group III (n = 21) with two infectious sites and positive blood culture. All of them had platelet count, erythrosedimentation rate (ESR), alpha-1-antitrypsin, orosomucoid, and C-reactive protein made; according to the results we gave an arbitrary low score when it was between 0 and 2 high when it reached 3 to 6 points. During the acute phase of the illness, 86% of the infants of group III, 69% of group II and 5% of group I had a high score. Even though the diagnostic possibilities were increased with the use of alpha-1-antitrypsin, orosomucoid and C-reactive protein, we think that these laboratory studies are not more useful than platelet count and ESR in the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis.