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Contribution of interleukin‐6 in distinguishing between mild respiratory disease and neonatal sepsis in the newborn infant
Author(s) -
Källman J,
Ekholm L,
Eriksson M,
Malmstrom B,
Schollin J
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1999.tb00065.x
Subject(s) - medicine , sepsis , respiratory distress , neonatal sepsis , c reactive protein , respiratory system , gastroenterology , immunology , pediatrics , inflammation , surgery
The purpose of this study was to investigate if early samples of interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) could distinguish early bacterial sepsis from respiratory diseases in the newborn. IL‐6 and C‐reactive protein (CRP) were measured at onset of symptoms in newborns evaluated for sepsis during the first week of life. Five groups of children were investigated: proven sepsis, clinical sepsis, respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), transient tachypnoea of the newborn (TTN) and controls. IL‐6 was also analysed at the time when CRP was at its maximum level. The results showed that initial IL‐6 distinguished proven and clinical sepsis from TTN, but not from RDS. Initial CRP was of no value for diagnosis. Our conclusion is that early IL‐6 makes it possible to avoid antibiotics in children with TTN and contributes to the diagnosis of sepsis faster than CRP. □ C‐reactive protein, interleukin‐6, neonatal septicaemia, respiratory diseases