Clinical Utility of Delta Neutrophil Index, Interleukin 8 and C-Reactive Protein as Indicators for Sepsis and Septic Shock in Non-COVID-19 Patients

The study aimed to assess the potential of DNI, CRP, and IL-8 as predictive markers for sepsis in non-COVID-19 patients. Conducted within a Bulgarian ICU through a prospective non-interventional clinical follow-up, the research focused on patients with and without sepsis.
DNI is a significantly critical marker for developing sepsis (Exp (B)=1.329, p= 0.007). DNI has an association with developing sepsis (r=0.363, p=0.001). ROC analysis showed a DNI value of 1.4 (the best cut-off value of 1.4), with 73% sensitivity and 87% specificity (AUC 0.764, 95% CI 0.650-0.878, p=0.0001). CRP is a significant marker for the severity of infection and shows the likelihood of sepsis events (Exp(B)=1.016, p=0.0001). The ROC curve results demonstrate that CRP, with 82% sensitivity and 76% specificity, predicts sepsis development (AUC 0.885, 95% CI 0.813-0.956, p -0.0001). There is a correlation, indicating an IL-8 increase as a marker for sepsis (r = 0.461. P = 0.0001). IL8 was significantly higher in septic groups than in the control group (t=3,537, p<0.001). Our findings demonstrate the reliability of DNI, CRP, and IL-8 as robust indicators with a strong predictive capacity for sepsis development among non-COVID-19 patients. Vigilant monitoring of these markers can significantly contribute to the early identification of at-risk individuals, enabling timely interventions and appropriate treatments.