Acta Med. 2019, 62: 58-61

https://doi.org/10.14712/18059694.2019.47

Calcemia and Inflammatory Markers in Early-Onset Neonatal Infection

Štěpán Kutíleka, Martina Vracovskáa, Kamila Pečenkováa, Hana Brožíkováa, Richard Piknerb, Zlatka Fejfarkováb

aDepartment of Pediatrics, Klatovy Hospital, Klatovy, Czech Republic
bDepartment of Clinical Biochemistry, Klatovy Hospital, Klatovy, Czech Republic

Received October 31, 2018
Accepted February 27, 2019

Introduction: Ionised hypocalcemia (S-Ca2+) has been repeatedly observed in neonates with sepsis. Our aim was to evaluate total calcemia (S-Ca) and its relationship to laboratory markers of infection. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated total calcemia (S-Ca) and its relationship to laboratory markers of sepsis/infection (serum levels of C-reactive protein – S-CRP and procalcitonin – S-PCT) in 29 full-term neonates with early-onset neonatal infection hospitalized at our neonatology ward between 2012 and 2016. The control group consisted of 705 neonates without infection. Results: In neonates with early-onset infection , the S-Ca on day 1, 2 and 3 was significantly lower (p < 0.0001; p < 0.0001; p = 0.05 versus controls) same as the pooled S-Ca (p < 0.0001 versus controls). There was a weak negative correlation between pooled S-Ca and S-PCT, or pooled S-Ca and S-CRP (r = −0.22, p = 0.06; r = −0.19, p = 0.09). Conclusion: S-Ca was decreased in neonates with early-onset infection and did show a slight tendency to inverse correlation with S-CRP and S-PCT. Pediatricians must be aware of the fact that a drop in total S-Ca should alert their attention to the risk of neonatal infection, and, likewise, that the children with neonatal infection are at a higher risk of hypocalcemia with all its consequences.

References

21 live references