title: Procalcitonin in preoperative diagnosis of abdominal sepsis.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Center of Emergency Surgery, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia. mivancevic@sbb.co.yu
authors.forename: Nenad
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ivancević
authors.forename: Dejan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Radenković
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bumbasirević
authors.forename: Aleksandar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karamarković
authors.forename: Vasilije
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jeremić
authors.forename: Nevena
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kalezić
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vodnik
authors.forename: Biljana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Beleslin
authors.forename: Natasa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Milić
authors.forename: Pavle
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gregorić
authors.forename: Milos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zarković
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide