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Systemic infections are responsible for a significant number of hospitalizations during the neonatal period. Nonspecific symptoms make differentiating between bacterial and viral illnesses difficult. Markers such as C-reactive protein are a useful aid in differentiation.
Tests generally appear in the order most useful for common clinical situations
| Test name: CBC with Platelet Count & Automated Differential |
| ARUP #: 0040003 |
| Methodology: Automated Cell Count with Flow Cell Differential |
| Use: Initial testing to help differentiate bacterial from viral etiology |
| Test name: Blood Culture |
| ARUP #: 0060102 |
| Methodology: Continuous Monitoring Blood Culture/Identification |
| Use: Evaluate presence of infection in blood |
| Limitations: Testing is limited to the University of Utah Health Sciences Center only |
| Test name: Electrolyte Panel |
| ARUP #: 0020410 |
| Methodology: Quantitative Ion-Selective Electrode/Enzymatic |
| Use: Evaluate presence of electrolyte imbalance |
| Test name: Urinalysis, Complete |
| ARUP #: 0020350 |
| Methodology: Reflective Photometry/Microscopic by Yellow IRIS |
| Use: Evaluate for evidence of urinary tract infection |
| Test name: CSF Bacterial Culture (Includes Gram Stain 0060101) |
| ARUP #: 0060106 |
| Methodology: Standard reference procedures for bacterial stain, aerobic culture, and identification |
| Use: Testing to rule out meningitis; identify organism causing meningitis |
| Test name: Cell Count, CSF |
| ARUP #: 0095018 |
| Methodology: Cell Count/Differential |
| Use: Aid in differentiating bacterial from viral meningitis |
| Test name: Glucose, CSF |
| ARUP #: 0020515 |
| Methodology: Enzymatic |
| Use: May be helpful in differentiating bacterial from viral etiology Usually low (<10mg/dL) in bacterial meningitis and tuberculosis disease |
| Test name: Glucose, Plasma or Serum |
| ARUP #: 0020024 |
| Methodology: Quantitative Enzymatic |
| Use: Comparator for CSF glucose measurements |
| Test name: Protein, Total, CSF |
| ARUP #: 0020514 |
| Methodology: Reflectance Spectrophotometry |
| Use: May be helpful in differentiating bacterial from viral etiology |
| Test name: C-Reactive Protein, Neonatal |
| ARUP #: 0050181 |
| Methodology: Immunoassay |
| Use: Use as a marker of sepsis in newborns |
| Limitations: Recent medical events resulting in tissue injury, infections or inflammation may cause elevated CRP levels |
| Test name: Procalcitonin |
| ARUP #: 0020763 |
| Methodology: Immunofluorescent |
| Use: Proposed at this time as an early marker (<24 hours) for sepsis in newborns |
| Limitations: As various non-infectious conditions are known to induce procalcitonin as well, procalcitonin levels between 0.50 ng/mL and 2.00 ng/mL should be reviewed carefully to take into account the specific clinical background and condition(s) of the individual patient Procalcitonin levels below 0.50 ng/mL do not exclude an infection, because localized infections (without systemic signs) may also be associated with such low levels |
| Test name: Urine Culture |
| ARUP #: 0060131 |
| Methodology: Standard reference procedures for aerobic bacterial culture and identification |
| Comments: |