Diagnostic test of Immature Granulocyte Ratio (IG Ratio) to detect Early-Onset Neonatal Sepsis (EONS)

Background: Based on the onset of events, the most common neonatal sepsis is early-onset neonatal sepsis (EONS), which occurs within the first 72 hours of life. Blood culture is the gold standard for EONS, but this examination takes a long time to provide the results. However, the latest method is obtained to determine the shift to the left granulocytic image by counting Immature Granulocyte (IG). This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of the IG Ratio for diagnosing EONS in neonates suspected of having sepsis.Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 60 EONS patients consecutively, who met the inclusion criteria from January to June 2022 at Prof. dr. I.G.N.G Ngoerah Hospital, Bali. Variables assessed in this study included age, gender, delivery methods, birth status, birthweight, blood culture, complete blood count (CBC), I/T ratio, and IG ratio. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 for Windows.Results: The cut-off point of the IG Ratio was 2.21 (AUC=0.670 (0,490-0,851); p=0.041; OR: 8.021 (2.283-28.185); p=0.001), which had a sensitivity of 64.7% and a specificity of 81.4% for diagnosing EONS in neonates suspected of having sepsis. The results also obtained a Negative Predictive Value (NPV) of 85.35 and a Positive Predictive Value (PPV) of 57.89.Conclusion: The cut-off point of the IG Ratio of 2.21 has a risk factor of 8.021 times higher for diagnosing EONS in neonates with sepsis.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the accuracy of the IG Ratio for diagnosing EONS in neonates suspected of having sepsis and found that the cutoff point of 2.21 for the IG ratio had moderate sensitivity and specificity.