PCT as a diagnostic and prognostic tool in burn patients. Whether time course has a role in monitoring sepsis treatment.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic performance of inflammatory markers for septic and non septic (localized) bacterial infections in patients with severe burn.


RESULTS
Data of 145 patients were prospectively included in this study. Serum procalcitonin and other inflammatory markers were measured within 24 h after burn and daily thereafter. Maximum procalcitonin (p=0.004) was independent predictors of outcome in logistic regression analysis. PCT thresholds of 1.5 ng/ml, 0.52 ng/ml and 0.56 ng/ml had adequate sensitivity and specificity to diagnose sepsis, respiratory tract and wound infections respectively. A threshold value of 7.8 ng/ml in PCT concentration on day 3 was associated with the effectiveness of the sepsis treatment with an AUC of 0.86 (95% CI 0.69-1.03, p=0.002). C-reactive protein levels and WBCs showed no significant change over the first 3 days in the patients with successfully treated sepsis (p=0.93).


CONCLUSIONS
The maximum procalcitonin level has prognostic value in burn patients. PCT can be used as a diagnostic tool in patients with infectious complications with or without bacteremia during ICU stay. Daily consecutive PCT measurements may be a valuable tool in monitoring the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy in burn ICU patients.
Papanikolaou General Hospital, Burn ICU, Thessaloniki, Greece. alavrenti@gmail.com
A
A
Lavrentieva
S
S
Papadopoulou
J
J
Kioumis
E
E
Kaimakamis
M
M
Bitzani
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002056:Burns / Q000097:blood* / Q000382:microbiology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000175:diagnosis
D015415:Biomarkers; C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide