title: Early diagnosis of septicaemia in infants with respiratory distress in the tropics.
abstract: A prospective study of buffy coat microscopy of 108 infants with respiratory distress during the first 48 h of life was undertaken. Thirty-two infants (29.6%)had positive blood cultures. The buffy coat was stained with methylene blue and with Gram's stain. Using methylene blue staining, 94% shared organisms in the buffy coat. Whereas using Gram's stain only 50% were positive--all of which were also positive with methylene blue. Twenty-four infants with negative blood cultures had radiological signs of pneumonia. Of these, 83% showed organisms in the buffy coat with both methylene blue and Gram staining. We conclude that buffy coat microscopy provides a simple and reliable guide in the early diagnosis of neonatal septicaemia or lung infection in infants with respiratory distress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Childhealth, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria.
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Rabasa
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Okolo
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000382:microbiology*; D018805:Sepsis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors