title: Sensitivity and specificity of procalcitonin to determine etiology of diarrhea in children younger than 5 years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to assess the sensitivity and specificity of procalcitonin to determine bacterial etiology of diarrhea.
  For this purpose we conducted the study comprising 115 children aged 1 to 60 months admitted at the Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Pediatric Clinic, divided in three groups based on etiology of the diarrhea that has been confirmed with respective tests during the hospitalization. Each group has equal number of patients - 35. The first group was confirmed to have bacterial diarrhea, the second viral diarrhea and the third extra intestinal diarrhea. The determination of procalcitonin has been established with the ELFA methods of producer B.R.A.H.M.S Diagnostica GmbH, Berlin, (Germany).
  
  
  RESULTS
  From the total number of 1130 patient with acute diarrhea procalcitonin was assessed in 105. 67 (63.8%) of these patient were male. More than one third (38.14%) of the children in our study were younger then 12 months. Approximately the same was the number of children 13-24 months (33 patients or 31.43%) and 25-60 months (32 patients or 30.43%). The mean value of PRC in children with viral diarrhea was 0.13±0.5 ng/mL in children with bacterial diarrhea was 5.3±4.9 ng/m Land in children with extra intestinal diarrhea was 1.7±2.8 ng/mL. When measured using ANOVA and Turkey HSD tests, results have shown the statistical significance when comparing viral with bacterial and extra intestinal diarrhea but were statistically insignificant when comparing bacterial and extra intestinal diarrhea.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Procalcitonin is an important but not conclusive marker of bacterial etiology of acute diarrhea in children younger than 5 years.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Clinic, University Clinical Center of Kosovo, Prishtina, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Vlora
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ismaili-Jaha
authors.affiliation: Neonatology Department, Gynecology Clinic, University Clinical Center of Kosovo, Prishtina, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Mujë
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shala
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Clinic, University Clinical Center of Kosovo, Prishtina, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Mehmedali
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Azemi
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Clinic, University Clinical Center of Kosovo, Prishtina, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Shqipe
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spahiu
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Clinic, University Clinical Center of Kosovo, Prishtina, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Teuta
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hoxha
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Clinic, University Clinical Center of Kosovo, Prishtina, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Muharrem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Avdiu
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Clinic, University Clinical Center of Kosovo, Prishtina, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Lidvana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Spahiu
keywords: acute diarrhea; procalcitonin