title: Procalcitonin levels within 48 hours after burn injury as a prognostic factor.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was performed to evaluate the clinical significance of procalcitonin in burn patients and to investigate whether procalcitonin levels at admission can be a prognostic indicator for sepsis and mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 2009 and December 2010, procalcitonin levels in 175 patients were tested within the first 48 hours after burn injury. Serum procalcitonin was measured using an enzyme-linked fluorescence assay. Mortality rates and positive culture rates of blood, wound, and sputum were evaluated among the subgroups divided by burn size, procalcitonin levels, and clinical prognosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Positive blood culture and mortality rates correlated significantly with procalcitonin concentrations within the first 48 hours after burn injury. The area under the ROC curve for procalcitonin related to mortality was 0.844. Survival analysis revealed that the mortality rate was significantly higher in patients with procalcitonin concentrations ≥ 2 ng/mL than in patients with procalcitonin concentrations < 2 ng/mL (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that procalcitonin was an independent prognostic factor for burn patients (Hazard ratio = 3.16, P = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Procalcitonin concentrations determined within the first 48 hours after burn injury can be a useful prognostic indicator for sepsis and mortality in burn patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Korea. hskim0901@empal.com
authors.forename: Hyun Soo
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyeong Tae
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hur
authors.forename: Wook
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.forename: Young-Su
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.forename: Seon-Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Hee Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Kyu Man
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002056:Burns / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003710:Demography; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D012372:ROC Curve; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide