Procalcitonin in the burn unit and the diagnosis of infection.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the usefulness of procalcitonin (PCT) in decision-making when faced with suspected infection in patients with extensive burns.


METHODS
Retrospective, observational follow-up study.


METHODS
Burn Unit of the Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña (CHUAC), Spain.


METHODS
We included all patients admitted to the Unit from June 2011 to March 2012 with ≥20% total body surface area burned or ≥10% full-thickness body surface area burned with suspected infection (17 patients with 34 events of suspected infection).


RESULTS
The infections were confirmed in 16/34 episodes (47.1%), and documented in 44.1% (n=15). There were no statistically significant differences in the PCT figures at the time the infection was suspected between the cases with confirmed and unconfirmed infection (p=0.682). The PCT values showed no discriminative value for differentiating patients with SIRS from those with sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock (area under ROC curve (AUC)=0.546; 95% CI: 0.326-0.766). No significant correlation was found between SOFA and PCT, although there were differences in the PCT values in the patients who had tissue hypoperfusion.


CONCLUSIONS
Results show that PCT is not a precise indicator of sepsis at the time of diagnosis. A correlation between PCT levels and hypoperfusion was observed.
Burn Unit, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña, As Xubias 84, CP:15006, A Coruña, Spain. Electronic address: Leticia.seoane.quiroga@gmail.com.
Leticia
L
Seoane
Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña, As Xubias 84, CP:15006, A Coruña, Spain.
Sonia
S
Pértega
Burn Unit, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña, As Xubias 84, CP:15006, A Coruña, Spain.
Rita
R
Galeiras
Burn Unit, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña, As Xubias 84, CP:15006, A Coruña, Spain.
Iván
I
Astola
Burn Unit, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña, As Xubias 84, CP:15006, A Coruña, Spain.
Teresa
T
Bouza
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019540:Area Under Curve; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002053:Burn Units; D002056:Burns / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D012372:ROC Curve; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D015208:Smoke Inhalation Injury / Q000150:complications; D018746:Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D055815:Young Adult
D015415:Biomarkers; C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide
Burns; Diagnosis; Intensive care; Procalcitonin; Sepsis