Abstract

GOMEZ-RIVERA, Norberto et al. Semiquantitative procalcitonin (PCT-Q) as a diagnostic tool and prognostic marker in children with bacterial sepsis. Bol. Med. Hosp. Infant. Mex. [online]. 2006, vol.63, n.1, pp.8-17. ISSN 1665-1146.

Introduction. This study evaluates the utility of the semiquantitative determination of procalcitonin (PCT-Q®) in the early diagnosis of bacterial infection in patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and positive bacterial cultures with another group of patients that presented SIRS without positive bacterial cultures. Objective: to evaluate PCT-Q® as a diagnostic tool of this new PCT-Q® marker in patients with bacterial infections in an early phase, besides and as prognostic marker in as prognosis and mortality Scoreboard. Material and methods. Design: comparative and transversal cross sectional study. Two groups were selected. The study group: included 22 patients with SIRS and positive blood cultures, shown with positive blood cultives (sepsis). The control group: included 18 patients with SIRS criteria but negative bacterial cultures. The male to female distribution in both groups included 15/22 in the study group vs 5/18 in the controls; P =0.01104. The studied variables: PCT-Q® with a cut off > 10 ng/mL and mortality. Results. On the first day, 18 cases in the study group and 2 cases in the control group, yielded a highly significant positive value; P =0.00063. By the 7^th day, 8 deaths had occurred in the study group and only 1 in the control group; P =0.04. The mortality rate was of the 44.4% with a relative risk of 2.1428; the sensitivity and specificity in this study was 82 and 89% respectively. Conclusions. The PCT-Q® is a useful tool for the early detection of patients with bacterial sepsis. Persistent levels > 10 ng/mL of PCT-Q in patients with sepsis, correlates the severity of the illness and death.

Keywords : Bacterial infections; septicemia; systemic inflammatory response syndrome; semiquantitative procalcitonin levels.