All issues > Volume 34(9); 1991

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1991;34(9):1223-1230. Published online September 30, 1991.

The diagnostic significance of APR score in early detection of neonatal bacterial infection.

Ki Won Park¹, Kyeong Choi¹, Young Youn Choi¹, Tai Ju Hwang¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Chonnam University Medical School, Kwangju, Korea

Received: March 20, 1991;  Accepted: March 20, 1991.

Abstract

An accurate and rapid diagnostic test is essential in the management of bacterial infection in neonates because they lack specific symptoms and the bacterial infections in neonates tends to have rapid progression and poor prognosis. As for the method, APR (acute phase reactants), a score measuring C-reactive protein (CRP), 상racid glycoprotein (이-AG) and Haptoglobin (Hp) by latex agglutination seems to be one of promising
methods
. In the present study, we compared APR score to the peripheral blood findings (total leukocyte count, absolute neutrophil count, immature to mature neutrophil ratio, toxic granule or vacuolization, platelet count) in 24 patients who were admitted to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Chonnam University Hospital to evaluate the significance of APR in the diagnosis of neonatal bacterial infections. The results were as follows: 1) Among the types of infections, sepsis was the most frequently encountered by 11 cases. We were able to culture only 11 cases of the total (45.8%) and these include Staphylococcus aureus, Pseud- monas aeruginosa, Enterobacter cloacae in the frequency of order. 2) In the peripheral blood findings, total leukocyte count had the highest positive rate with 50% whereas among 3 acute phase reactants, CRP with 87.5% was the highest. The APR score of one or above and two or above had the positive rate of 91.6% and 75.0%, respectively. 3) Compared with peripheral blood findings, APR score of one or above was higher in the detection of neonatal bacterial infections (p<0.001). Also the positive rates of APR score were slightly higher than CRP, 이-AG and Hp. 4) In the follow up of 11 patients, APR score correlated well with clinical courses after the treatments.

Keywords :Acute phase reactants;APR-score;Neonatal bacterial infection