Comparison of WBC, ESR, CRP and PCT serum levels in septic and non-septic burn cases.
Diagnosis of sepsis is difficult, particularly in cases of burn where signs of sepsis may be present in the absence of a real infection. This study compared serum levels of procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and white blood cell (WBC) among 60 burned people with and without infection, in order to assess the value of the information for diagnosis of sepsis. A significantly higher PCT level was observed in the septic group compared to those without sepsis (8.45+/-7.8 vs. 0.5+/-1.0, respectively, p<0.001); no significant differences were found in CRP or WBC levels, neutrophil count or ESR. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve in the diagnosis of sepsis was 0.97 for PCT (p<0.001) with sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 89.3%. Non-survivors had a mean PCT level significantly higher than that of survivors. Thus the serum PCT level was a highly efficient laboratory parameter for the diagnosis of severe infectious complications after burn, but WBC, neutrophil, ESR and CRP levels were of little value.
Paediatric Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran. Mitra_baraty@yahoo.com
Mitra
M
Barati
Faranak
F
Alinejad
Mohammad Ali
MA
Bahar
Mahbobe Satarzadeh
MS
Tabrisi
Ahmad Reza
AR
Shamshiri
Nosrat-ol-lahe
NO
Bodouhi
Hamid
H
Karimi
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D002056:Burns / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018746:Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*
D015415:Biomarkers; C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide