title: [Procalcitonin in diagnosis of purulent and aseptic meningitis in children].
abstract: Procalcitonin (PCT) is a new indicator of the systemic response to severe infections. To evaluate clinical usefulness of serum procalcitonin measurements in the differential diagnosis of purulent versus aseptic meningitis in children was the aim of the study. Fifteen children (aged 1 month-14 years) with purulent meningitis and 12 children (aged 6 months-12 years) with aseptic meningitis were included into the study. Serum PCT concentration was measured on admission by immunoluminometric assay. Thirty healthy controls (aged 3 months-14 years) were also enrolled into the study. Serum PCT concentration was above 0.5 ng/ml in 14 out of 15 children with purulent meningitis (range 0.0-95.2 ng/ml; arrhythmetic mean--28.2 ng/ml). In all children with aseptic meningitis (range 0.0-0.3 ng/ml; mean--0.1 ng/ml) as well as in healthy controls (range 0.0-0.3 ng/ml; mean--0.1 ng/ml) serum PCT was below 0.5 ng/ml.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated serum PCT concentration in child with meningitis suggests bacterial aetiology.
authors.affiliation: Oddziału Dzieciecego Szpitala Wojewódzikego nr 2 w Rzeszowie.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Korczowski
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bijoś
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rybak
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008582:Meningitis, Aseptic / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide
vernacular_title: Prokalcytonina w diagnostyce róznicowej ropnego i surowiczego zapalenia opon mózgowo-rdzeniowych u dzieci.