Microvascular flow is compromised early in neonatal infection

Background and Aims: The early diagnosis of neonatal infection remains a challenge. Recent studies using Orthogonal Polarization Spectral (OPS) imaging techniques, have reported microcirculatory alterations in adult patients with severe sepsis and septic shock1,2. The objective of this study was to compare microcirculatory flow and vascular density between healthy (H) and sick newborns (I) with neonatal infection. Methods: We obtained prospectively OPS images from the ear conch of 46 infants on their 1st, 2nd and 3rd day of life. Infection was defined as IL–6>50pg/mL and CRP>0,5mg/dL. The OPS sequences were anal…