Procalcitonin in preoperative diagnosis of abdominal sepsis.
OBJECTIVE
The present study attempted to identify the diagnostic significance of procalcitonin (PCT) in acute abdominal conditions as well as the range of concentrations relating to diagnosis of abdominal sepsis.


METHODS
This was prospective clinical study. The study included 98 consecutive patients with acute abdominal conditions, divided in sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) group.


RESULTS
PCT concentrations on admission were significantly higher in the sepsis group than in the SIRS group (median [interquartile range] 2.32 [7.41] vs 0.45 ng/ml [2.62]). A cutoff value of 1.1 ng/ml yielded 72.4% sensitivity and 62.5% specificity. In a group of patients with abdominal symptoms lasting for more than 24 h, a cut-off value of 1.1 ng/ml yielded higher sensitivity (82.9%) and higher specificity (77.3%).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that PCT measurements may be useful for early, preoperative diagnosis of abdominal sepsis.
Ivancević
Nenad
N
Center of Emergency Surgery, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia. mivancevic@sbb.co.yu
Radenković
Dejan
D
Bumbasirević
Vesna
V
Karamarković
Aleksandar
A
Jeremić
Vasilije
V
Kalezić
Nevena
N
Vodnik
Tatjana
T
Beleslin
Biljana
B
Milić
Natasa
N
Gregorić
Pavle
P
Zarković
Milos
M
D018806:APACHE; D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D018805:Sepsis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D018746:Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*
C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide