Evaluation of a turbidimetric C-reactive protein assay to monitor early-onset neonatal sepsis in South Kivu (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

What is it about?

Neonatal sepsis, a condition accompanied by signs of systemic infection in newborns, is a major cause of infant mortality in Africa. C-reactive protein (CRP) is the most extensively studied marker for detecting infection. We evaluated an affordable, non-commercial simple CRP assay for monitoring early-onset neonatal sepsis (EOS); 148 neonates admitted in a Congolese hospital were enrolled in the study. Different serum CRP slopes were observed among various birth weight categories. The serum (CRP 48 h - CRP 12 h) difference and the birth weight predicted the outcome of the septic newborns. Our CRP assay is a novel tool that can be used in the management of EOS. The simplicity of the assay and the extremely low price make the CRP method very well suited for developing countries.

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