title: Serum concentrations of procalcitonin after cardiac surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Monitoring of complications in patients undergoing cardiac surgery may be difficult because cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) can lead to a systemic inflammatory response syndrome because of exposure of blood to nonphysiological surfaces. The purpose of the study was to establish the baseline levels of procalcitonin (PCT) after cardiac surgery in our population in order to analyze a possible induction of the inflammatory response that might interfere with the diagnosis of infection by PCT.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples from patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting or valve replacement were collected at the time of admission to intensive care unit, after surgery as well as in the first and second postoperative days. Patients were followed for the development of postoperative complications. PCT levels were measured by immunoluminometric assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean PCT values were significantly higher in the first postoperative day in all the groups except the control group. No increased PCT levels were found related neither to duration of CPB, nor to time of aortic clamping. Only patients who presented complications had significantly increased PCT values immediately after surgery (p = 0.004), in the first postoperative day (p < 0.0001), and in the second postoperative day (p < 0.0001) with respect to those who recovered uneventfully.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A slight and transient increase in PCT levels was observed in the first postoperative day after cardiac surgery. Significant elevation of PCT was only observed when complications were present.
authors.affiliation: Servei de Microbiologia, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain. cprat.germanstrias@gencat.net
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Prat
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ricart
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ruyra
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Domínguez
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morillas
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tomasa
authors.forename: Tomás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cámara
authors.forename: Sónia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Molinos
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ausina
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D012372:ROC Curve; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D018746:Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide