A COMPARATIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INTRAVENOUS IMMUNOGLOBULINS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF NEONATAL SEPSIS IN PRE-TERM AND TERM NEONATES

Introduction: Neonatal sepsis is still one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in neonates, effective adjunctive treatments such as addition of IVIG to standard antibiotic treatment is needed. Neonates conceived <32 weeks of gestation are immune deficient of immunoglobulins when compared to neonates conceived at full term. Aims and Objectives: This study has been attempted to assess and compare the effectiveness of IVIG in addition with antibiotics to improve the therapeutic consequence of NNS in preterm and term neonates.

Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted, in which 80 neonates were enrolled. Both preterm and term neonates with sepsis were randomly assigned into study and control groups at neonatal intensive care unit, Owaisi Hospital & Research Centre,Hyderabad, India. Study-group was given IVIG in addition to standard treatment. The test group was treated only with the standard antibiotics.

Results: In our study, both the study and control-groups were practically identical based on baseline characteristics. The addition of IVIG as an adjuctive therapy is effective in management of NNS as the study group is found to have less duration of hospital stay when compared to that of control group and was statistically significant. The mortality rate was also found to be less in study group and the difference between the two groups is found to be stastically significant.

Conclusion: Low levels of immunoglobulins in preterm as well as in term neonates results in increased morbidity and mortality in NNS. Use of IVIG along with the antibiotics and other supportive therapy can improve the outcomes such as hospital stay and mortality.