Simple laboratory tests for early diagnosis of neonatal infection

The present work was carried on 40 neonates, 30 of them with clinical evidence of septicemia and 10 were apparently normal healthy as a control group. Blood culture, complete blood count [CBC] were performed to both groups. It was found that total leucocytic count [TLC], immature to mature neutrophil ratio [I/M] with CRP were simple reliable and rapid tests for early detection of neonates with infection

Detection of mild bleeding disorders among children with recurrent epistaxis by using epistaxis scoring system

Von Willebrand factor [VWF] and factor VIIIc [F VIIIc] level determinations [% of normal] as well as routine coagulation screening tests were performed on 20 children suffering from recurrent epistaxis and 10 normal control children of comparable age and sex. Patients were classified into two groups by the use of epistaxis scoring schedule [ESS]. Group 1, severe group included 7 patients. Group 2, mild group included 13 patients. It was found that VWF and F VIIIc levels were significantly reduced in severe group compared with mild and control groups. One of 3 patients in the severe group had VWF level 28% and F VIIIc level 49% of normal and was diagnosed as VWD. The other 2 patients had F VIIIc level just below the acceptable for normal, but VWF was low normal. It was found that ESS is useful in assessing the severity of recurrent epistaxis and in picking up of cases that require more hemostatic work up