Early diagnosis of septicaemia in preterm infants from examination of peripheral blood films

Clinically significant staphylococcal septicaemia associated with the prese nce of bacteria in neutrophils in a routine peripheral blood film is descri bed in four preterm infants. In all cases this allowed the diagnosis of inf ection prior to the result of microbiological cultures. It is likely that t his finding is relatively common in this subgroup of patients resulting fro m a combination of severe infection associated with indwelling catheters an d defective neutrophil bacteriacidal mechanisms. The findings in these case s suggest that careful blood film inspection in selected premature neonates may allow the early identification of sepsis.