Analysis of heart rate variability as evaluation method for the risk of sepsis in the low-weight preterm infant

Neonatal sepsis is a clinical syndrome characterized by systemic signs of infection and the concomitant positivity of blood culture to the presence of pathogenic microorganism. This pathology particularly affects the neonates in intensive care, especially if they are preterm and low weight, with an incidence varying between 1 and 40% according to the onset (early or late). Prompt diagnostic and therapeutic interventions could reduce the high percentage of mortality that characterizes this pathology especially in the premature and low weight neonates. The main goal of this study was to investigate whether the HeRO Duet, an automatic and non-invasive device designed to early diagnose neonatal sepsis, can be an effective aid to support the clinician in making early diagnosis of sepsis.