Evaluating Serum Ferritin as a Diagnostic Marker in Confirmed Bacterial Infections: An Observational Analysis

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Neonatal sepsis is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, with high incidence rates.
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Blood culture is the gold standard for diagnosing neonatal sepsis, but its sensitivity is often limited in resource-limited settings.
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The current sepsis screening methods in Indian NICUs have low sensitivity and specificity, leading to increased empirical antibiotic use.
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Serum ferritin is an acute-phase protein that may serve as a promising diagnostic marker for culture-confirmed neonatal sepsis.
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This study aims to evaluate the utility of serum ferritin in improving the diagnostic accuracy of existing sepsis screening protocols.

Bmc Infectious Diseases

by Pooja Gehlot, Sunil Kumar Kasundriya, Shreya Shrivastava, Manju Purohit, Shweta Khare, Ashish Pathak
April 15, 2026

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