Multicentre external validation of the Neonatal Healthcare-associated infectiOn Prediction (NeoHoP) score: a retrospective case–control study

Background and objectives Neonatal mortality due to severe bacterial infections is a pressing global issue, especially in low-middle-income countries (LMICs) with constrained healthcare resources. This study aims to validate the Neonatal Healthcare-associated infectiOn Prediction (NeoHoP) score, des...

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Main Authors: Andrew Whitelaw, Michael Sharland, Cecilia Ferreyra, Angela Dramowski, Adrie Bekker, Sithembiso Christopher Velaphi, Daynia Elizabeth Ballot, Trusha Nana, Lizel G Lloyd, Mirjam Maria van Weissenbruch, Birgitta Gleeson, Jeannette Wadula
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2024-10-01
Series:BMJ Paediatrics Open
Online Access:https://bmjpaedsopen.bmj.com/content/8/1/e002748.full
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author Andrew Whitelaw
Michael Sharland
Cecilia Ferreyra
Angela Dramowski
Adrie Bekker
Sithembiso Christopher Velaphi
Daynia Elizabeth Ballot
Trusha Nana
Lizel G Lloyd
Mirjam Maria van Weissenbruch
Birgitta Gleeson
Jeannette Wadula
author_facet Andrew Whitelaw
Michael Sharland
Cecilia Ferreyra
Angela Dramowski
Adrie Bekker
Sithembiso Christopher Velaphi
Daynia Elizabeth Ballot
Trusha Nana
Lizel G Lloyd
Mirjam Maria van Weissenbruch
Birgitta Gleeson
Jeannette Wadula
author_sort Andrew Whitelaw
collection DOAJ
description Background and objectives Neonatal mortality due to severe bacterial infections is a pressing global issue, especially in low-middle-income countries (LMICs) with constrained healthcare resources. This study aims to validate the Neonatal Healthcare-associated infectiOn Prediction (NeoHoP) score, designed for LMICs, across diverse neonatal populations.Methods Prospective data from three South African neonatal units in the Neonatal Sepsis Observational (NeoOBS) study were analysed. The NeoHoP score, initially developed and validated internally in a South African hospital, was assessed using an external cohort of 573 sepsis episodes in 346 infants, focusing on different birth weight categories. Diagnostic metrics were evaluated, including sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve.Results The external validation cohort displayed higher median birth weight and gestational age compared with the internal validation cohort. A significant proportion were born before reaching healthcare facilities, resulting in increased sepsis evaluation, and diagnosed healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Gram-negative infections predominated, with fungal infections more common in the external validation cohort.The NeoHoP score demonstrated robust diagnostic performance, with 92% specificity, 65% sensitivity and a positive likelihood ratio of 7.73. Subgroup analysis for very low birth weight infants produced similar results. The score’s generalisability across diverse neonatal populations was evident, showing comparable performance across different birth weight categories.Conclusion This multicentre validation confirms the NeoHoP score as a reliable 'rule-in' test for HAI in neonates, regardless of birth weight. Its potential as a valuable diagnostic tool in LMIC neonatal units addresses a critical gap in neonatal care in low-resource settings.
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spelling doaj-art-5fa0f3b80f5a49849e418bdd44f994512025-08-20T01:53:11ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Paediatrics Open2399-97722024-10-018110.1136/bmjpo-2024-002748Multicentre external validation of the Neonatal Healthcare-associated infectiOn Prediction (NeoHoP) score: a retrospective case–control studyAndrew Whitelaw0Michael Sharland1Cecilia Ferreyra2Angela Dramowski3Adrie Bekker4Sithembiso Christopher Velaphi5Daynia Elizabeth Ballot6Trusha Nana7Lizel G Lloyd8Mirjam Maria van Weissenbruch9Birgitta Gleeson10Jeannette Wadula11Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Pathology; Division of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, Western Cape, South AfricaPaediatric Infectious Diseases Research Group, St George`s University of London, London, London, UKFoundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, FIND, Geneva, Genève, SwitzerlandFaculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, Western Cape, South AfricaFaculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, Western Cape, South AfricaFaculty of Health Sciences, Paediatrics and Child Health, University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South AfricaFaculty of Health Sciences, Paediatrics and Child Health, University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South AfricaFaculty of Health Sciences, Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South AfricaFaculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, Western Cape, South AfricaDepartment of Pediatrics, Division IC Neonatology (NICU), Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, NetherlandsFoundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, FIND, Geneva, Genève, SwitzerlandFaculty of Health Sciences, Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South AfricaBackground and objectives Neonatal mortality due to severe bacterial infections is a pressing global issue, especially in low-middle-income countries (LMICs) with constrained healthcare resources. This study aims to validate the Neonatal Healthcare-associated infectiOn Prediction (NeoHoP) score, designed for LMICs, across diverse neonatal populations.Methods Prospective data from three South African neonatal units in the Neonatal Sepsis Observational (NeoOBS) study were analysed. The NeoHoP score, initially developed and validated internally in a South African hospital, was assessed using an external cohort of 573 sepsis episodes in 346 infants, focusing on different birth weight categories. Diagnostic metrics were evaluated, including sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve.Results The external validation cohort displayed higher median birth weight and gestational age compared with the internal validation cohort. A significant proportion were born before reaching healthcare facilities, resulting in increased sepsis evaluation, and diagnosed healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Gram-negative infections predominated, with fungal infections more common in the external validation cohort.The NeoHoP score demonstrated robust diagnostic performance, with 92% specificity, 65% sensitivity and a positive likelihood ratio of 7.73. Subgroup analysis for very low birth weight infants produced similar results. The score’s generalisability across diverse neonatal populations was evident, showing comparable performance across different birth weight categories.Conclusion This multicentre validation confirms the NeoHoP score as a reliable 'rule-in' test for HAI in neonates, regardless of birth weight. Its potential as a valuable diagnostic tool in LMIC neonatal units addresses a critical gap in neonatal care in low-resource settings.https://bmjpaedsopen.bmj.com/content/8/1/e002748.full
spellingShingle Andrew Whitelaw
Michael Sharland
Cecilia Ferreyra
Angela Dramowski
Adrie Bekker
Sithembiso Christopher Velaphi
Daynia Elizabeth Ballot
Trusha Nana
Lizel G Lloyd
Mirjam Maria van Weissenbruch
Birgitta Gleeson
Jeannette Wadula
Multicentre external validation of the Neonatal Healthcare-associated infectiOn Prediction (NeoHoP) score: a retrospective case–control study
BMJ Paediatrics Open
title Multicentre external validation of the Neonatal Healthcare-associated infectiOn Prediction (NeoHoP) score: a retrospective case–control study
title_full Multicentre external validation of the Neonatal Healthcare-associated infectiOn Prediction (NeoHoP) score: a retrospective case–control study
title_fullStr Multicentre external validation of the Neonatal Healthcare-associated infectiOn Prediction (NeoHoP) score: a retrospective case–control study
title_full_unstemmed Multicentre external validation of the Neonatal Healthcare-associated infectiOn Prediction (NeoHoP) score: a retrospective case–control study
title_short Multicentre external validation of the Neonatal Healthcare-associated infectiOn Prediction (NeoHoP) score: a retrospective case–control study
title_sort multicentre external validation of the neonatal healthcare associated infection prediction neohop score a retrospective case control study
url https://bmjpaedsopen.bmj.com/content/8/1/e002748.full
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