Doctors at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital have devised an early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis, a bacterial infection among newborns, which is a major problem in India. Doctors can take 24 to 72 hours to isolate the septicaemia that involves lengthy antibiotics medication.
Three doctors from the haematology department used VCS data generated from automated haematology analysers to diagnose the disease — characterised by leucocytes abnormalities —within two hours.
"Currently, diagnosis of neonatal sepsis is made on the basis of combined equations generated from three tests — complete blood count (CBC), blood culture and c-reactive protein. Results are generated in one to three days and the patient is started on antibiotics meanwhile. The way formulated by our research will not only save time but also remove requirement for additional testing, extra sample or high expenditure. It would cost just Rs 200," said Manorama Bhargava, the chairperson of the department of haematology.
VCS is the volume, conductivity and scatter data which is run in the haematology analyser lH-750 which has VCS technology that studies white blood cells.
Sepsis is a major cause for death of babies nurtured at home in rural areas.