title: The predictive value of immature granulocyte count and immature myeloid information in the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To determine the predictive value of the immature granulocyte count and the immature myeloid information in neonatal early onset sepsis we examined 133 blood samples of patients admitted to our neonatal intensive care unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Measurements were performed using the Sysmex XE-2100, an automated hematological analyzer. Patients were divided into two groups: 1) symptomatic neonates with diagnosis of early onset sepsis; and 2) controls including asymptomatic neonates who were admitted because of prematurity, low birth weight, or delayed postnatal transition.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of immature granulocytes and the immature myeloid information were significantly elevated in neonates with early onset sepsis compared to controls (median 280/μL vs. 50/μL, p=0.049 and 639/μL vs. 89/μL, p<0.0001, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Automated determinations of immature granulocytes and immature myeloid information seem to be useful adjunctive methods in the diagnosis of neonatal early onset sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit for Neonatal Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria. christina.cimenti@medunigraz.at
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cimenti
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Erwa
authors.forename: Kurt R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Herkner
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Kasper
authors.forename: Wilhelm
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Resch
mesh_terms: D016470:Bacteremia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000473:pathology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis