Table 1 Summary of the included studies
No | Author (Year) | Country | Type of study | Age (range) | Sample Size (all) | Patients/control (n) | Cutoff (ng mL-l) | Sample | Inclusion criteria | Exclusion | References | Assay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Tanır Basaranoglu 2018 | Turkey | Prospective | 1mo–18 y | 138 | 58 sepsis/80 (healthy controls) | 990 | serum | 1 mo–18 y, clinical signs of CRBSI | received antibiotics within the 24 h of presentation with fever | 2009 IDSA guideline | ELISA |
2 | Baraka 2018 | Egypt | Case-control | 2–15 y | 60 | 18 sepsis/42 (non-sepsis patients) | 1014 | plasma | <  16 y, pediatric patients with HM, during episodes of fever and neutropenia after receiving CTx | age > 16 y, non-HM pediatric patients, not on chemotherapy | blood culture | PATHFAST |
3 | Plesko 2016–1 | Slovakia | Prospective | 1.5–18.9 y | 55 | 12 sepsis/43 (non-sepsis patients) | 240 | unspecified | <  18.9 y, pediatric patients with HM, the presence of fever, hypothermia, chills, or another sign of possible sepsis | Febrile episodes thought to be an adverse effect of CTx, not having blood culture drawn, patients with proven non-bacterial infection | blood culture | PATHFAST |
3 | Plesko 2016–2 | Slovakia | Prospective | 1.5–18.9 y | 55 | 13 sepsis/42 (non-sepsis patients) | 299 | unspecified | <  18.9 y, pediatric patients with HM, the presence of fever, hypothermia, chills, or another sign of possible sepsis | Febrile episodes thought to be an adverse effect of CTx, not having blood culture drawn, patients with proven non-bacterial infection | modified IPSCC definition (2005) | PATHFAST |