title: Concentrations of procalcitonin and C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, and the immature-to-total neutrophil ratio in the blood of neonates with nosocomial infections: Gram-negative bacilli vs coagulase-negative staphylococci.
abstract: This study was undertaken to determine whether concentrations of procalcitonin in the blood of neonates with nosocomial infections depend on the type of pathogen. Qualification for the study group was based on the clinical signs of infection. We found that infections with Gram-positive (chiefly coagulase-negative staphylococci) and Gram-negative bacteria are accompanied by elevated concentrations of procalcitonin. In the case of Gram-positive bacteria, other laboratory signs of infection studied by us (concentration of C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, immature-to-total neutrophil ratio) were not discriminatory, confirming the diagnostic usefulness of procalcitonin measurements in nosocomial infections of the neonate with Gram-negative or Gram-positive bacteria.
authors.affiliation: Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland. kordek@sci.pam.szczecin.pl
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kordek
mesh_terms: D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D003030:Coagulase / Q000378:metabolism; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D009504:Neutrophils; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D003030:Coagulase; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide