Role of fibronectin in diagnosing bacterial infection in infancy.
Plasma fibronectin levels and complete blood cell counts were assessed prospectively among 100 infants less than 3 months of age with the provisional diagnosis of "possible sepsis". Seven of the ten infants with culture-proved bacteremia, meningitis, or urinary tract infection had low plasma fibronectin levels as did 12 (13%) of 90 infants with superficial or no documented bacterial infection. The positive predictive value of a low plasma fibronectin level in conjunction with leukocytosis and elevated band ratio for discriminating serious bacterial infection was 71%. Normal white blood cell counts or fibronectin level alone or in combination predicted the absence of serious bacterial infection with an accuracy of at least 94%. Plasma fibronectin determination provides a useful adjunct to the complete blood cell count for the rapid evaluation of extent of illness in young infants with possible sepsis.
Koenig
J M
JM
Department of Pediatrics, Myers-Black Section of Infectious Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030.
Patterson
L E
LE
Rench
M A
MA
Edwards
M S
MS
D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008581:Meningitis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D009391:Nephelometry and Turbidimetry; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis
D005353:Fibronectins