Comparison of procalcitonin measurement by a semi-quantitative method and an ultra-sensitive quantitative method in a pediatric emergency department.
OBJECTIVE
To compare procalcitonin measurements between semi-quantitative and quantitative assays.


METHODS
Procalcitonin was measured with the PCT-Q and the Kryptor assays in a pediatric emergency department.


RESULTS
Among the 359 pairs of results, 103 had discordant results. The linear weighted kappa was 0.44 (95% CI 0.36, 0.51). The concordant/discordant results distribution varied depending on the laboratory technician (p=0.018).


CONCLUSIONS
Agreement between procalcitonin measured semi-quantitatively and quantitatively was moderate. This is probably due to a subjective interpretation of the assay result.
Manzano
Sergio
S
Division of Emergency Medicine, CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
Bailey
Benoit
B
Girodias
Jean-Bernard
JB
Cousineau
Jocelyne
J
Delvin
Edgard
E
Gervaix
Alain
A
D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide