Superiority of acridine orange-stained buffy coat smears for diagnosis of partially treated neonatal septicemia. 1993

N B Mathur, and L M Saxena, and R Sarkar, and R K Puri
Department of Pediatrics, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India.

Early diagnosis of neonatal septicemia is a vexing problem because of its non-specific clinical picture. Many of the neonates with septicemia reaching a referral centre have already been exposed to antibiotics and their blood cultures are often sterile. Scarcity of studies evaluating acridine orange-stained buffy coat smears in detecting neonatal septicemia after administration of antibiotics prompted us to undertake this study. The population studied consisted of 34 cases of neonatal septicemia with positive blood cultures and/or positive buffy coat smears (of these 25 had a positive blood culture) and 25 neonates with a clinical course not suggestive of any infection. Venous blood was drawn for culture, preparation of buffy coat smears, blood counts and micro ESR. The culture and smears were repeated after administration of antibiotics for 48-72 h. Acridine orange stain was the most sensitive test and was significantly more sensitive than Gram's stain (p < 0.005). After the administration of antibiotics, acridine orange was significantly more sensitive than Gram's stain and blood culture (p < 0.05).

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007231 Infant, Newborn An infant during the first 28 days after birth. Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D011446 Prospective Studies Observation of a population for a sufficient number of persons over a sufficient number of years to generate incidence or mortality rates subsequent to the selection of the study group. Prospective Study,Studies, Prospective,Study, Prospective
D003581 Cytodiagnosis Diagnosis of the type and, when feasible, the cause of a pathologic process by means of microscopic study of cells in an exudate or other form of body fluid. (Stedman, 26th ed) Cytodiagnoses
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000165 Acridine Orange A cationic cytochemical stain specific for cell nuclei, especially DNA. It is used as a supravital stain and in fluorescence cytochemistry. It may cause mutations in microorganisms. Tetramethyl Acridine Diamine,3,6-Bis(dimethylamino)acridine,Acridine Orange Base,Basic Orange 3RN,C.I. 46005,C.I. Basic Orange 14,Euchrysine,N,N,N',N'-Tetramethyl-3,6-Acridinediamine Hydrochloride,Rhoduline Orange,Acridine Diamine, Tetramethyl,Base, Acridine Orange,Diamine, Tetramethyl Acridine,Orange 3RN, Basic,Orange Base, Acridine,Orange, Acridine,Orange, Rhoduline
D000900 Anti-Bacterial Agents Substances that inhibit the growth or reproduction of BACTERIA. Anti-Bacterial Agent,Anti-Bacterial Compound,Anti-Mycobacterial Agent,Antibacterial Agent,Antibiotics,Antimycobacterial Agent,Bacteriocidal Agent,Bacteriocide,Anti-Bacterial Compounds,Anti-Mycobacterial Agents,Antibacterial Agents,Antibiotic,Antimycobacterial Agents,Bacteriocidal Agents,Bacteriocides,Agent, Anti-Bacterial,Agent, Anti-Mycobacterial,Agent, Antibacterial,Agent, Antimycobacterial,Agent, Bacteriocidal,Agents, Anti-Bacterial,Agents, Anti-Mycobacterial,Agents, Antibacterial,Agents, Antimycobacterial,Agents, Bacteriocidal,Anti Bacterial Agent,Anti Bacterial Agents,Anti Bacterial Compound,Anti Bacterial Compounds,Anti Mycobacterial Agent,Anti Mycobacterial Agents,Compound, Anti-Bacterial,Compounds, Anti-Bacterial
D012680 Sensitivity and Specificity Binary classification measures to assess test results. Sensitivity or recall rate is the proportion of true positives. Specificity is the probability of correctly determining the absence of a condition. (From Last, Dictionary of Epidemiology, 2d ed) Specificity,Sensitivity,Specificity and Sensitivity
D013194 Staining and Labeling The marking of biological material with a dye or other reagent for the purpose of identifying and quantitating components of tissues, cells or their extracts. Histological Labeling,Staining,Histological Labelings,Labeling and Staining,Labeling, Histological,Labelings, Histological,Stainings
D018805 Sepsis Systemic inflammatory response syndrome with a proven or suspected infectious etiology. When sepsis is associated with organ dysfunction distant from the site of infection, it is called severe sepsis. When sepsis is accompanied by HYPOTENSION despite adequate fluid infusion, it is called SEPTIC SHOCK. Bloodstream Infection,Pyaemia,Pyemia,Pyohemia,Blood Poisoning,Poisoning, Blood,Septicemia,Severe Sepsis,Blood Poisonings,Bloodstream Infections,Infection, Bloodstream,Poisonings, Blood,Pyaemias,Pyemias,Pyohemias,Sepsis, Severe,Septicemias

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