The use of procalcitonin in the determination of severity of sepsis, patient outcomes and infection characteristics

The primary objective of this study was to determine the correlation between procalcitonin values and illness severity by evaluating the degree of end organ dysfunction using the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score, length of stay and the severity of sepsis (sepsis alone vs. septic shock), The hypothesis that procalcitonin values would be higher in sicker patients was formulated before data collection began. Secondary outcomes studied in relation to procalcitonin levels included infection characteristics such as the site of infection, microbial agent and dialysis dependent CKD. Procalcitonin has a higher specificity for bacterial infections than other acute phase reactants. Although initial procalcitonin value may be helpful in the determination of illness severity, it is not always a reliable prognostic indicator and carries little significance as a standalone value. Procalcitonin values may be influenced by preexisting comorbid conditions such as chronic kidney disease, which are associated with higher procalcitonin values at baseline. Procalcitonin can provide invaluable information when viewed as one piece of a clinical puzzle, and is most powerful when the interpreting physician is aware of how values are influenced by the different clinical scenarios presented in this article.
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news