A REVIEW ON NEONATAL SEPSIS; CURRENT AND PROSPECTIVE DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES.

Abstract

Neonatal sepsis is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in neonates. Clinical manifestations range from sub-clinical infection to severe local or systemic infection. Neonatal sepsis pathogens may be acquired from the intrauterine origin; from maternal microbiota and hospital or community acquired. Blood culture has always been the gold standard for the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis, but it is constrained by low sensitivity and a reporting delay of approximately 48–72h. Moreover, antimicrobial resistance is a global threat and has been reported that over 70% of neonatal infections are resistant to first-line antibiotic treatments. Rapid detection tools are potential tools to aid clinicians in diagnosing infections, to determine the most appropriate empiric treatment and to reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Advancements in molecular diagnostic techniques and biomarker research also offer promising avenue for addressing some of these limitations and enhancing early sepsis detection. These technologies can improve diagnostic accuracy, shorten turnaround times, and provide targeted treatment strategies, potentially reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with sepsis. The future looks into the applications of technology through artificial intelligence, machine learning, microfluidics technology, use of precision medicine which could be approaches tailored to patient-specific needs. This study reviews the classification, epidemiology, risk factors, pathogenesis, clinical symptoms, current diagnostic methods of neonatal sepsis and the prospect diagnostic techniques.