Thyroid functions in newborns with septicemia

Abstract

To investigate the alternations in thyroid functions the concentrations of total triiodothyronine (TT3), total tyroxine (TT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), free tyroxine (FT4), tyroxine binding globulin (TBG), albumin and tyroxine binding prealbumine (TBPA) were measured in 32 newborns with septicemia on days 1, 5 and 10 of hospitalisation and compared with age-matched controls. FT3 and FT4 levels of patients were significantly lower on the first day but returned to normal on the fifth and tenth days. On contrary to this TT3 and TT4 levels were lower on all three occasions but no significant changes were observed in TSH concentrations. TBPA and albumin levels were significantly lower in patients on the first and fifth days. A positive correlation between low TT3 and TT4 levels on the tenth day and mortality rate was also shown.