title: [Procalcitonin as a marker of the postoperative infection in cardiovascular surgery].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Procalcitonin( PCT) is a new diagnostic marker of severe bacterial infection and sepsis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the usefulness of PCT in patients with suspicion of bacterial infection after cardiovascular surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 2012 to December 2012, 150 consecutive patients after cardiovascular surgery were studied retrospectively. Postoperative infection was diagnosed under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guideline for healthcare associated infection, and biomarker levels and microbiological specimen were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only blood stream infection group revealed higher PCT levels( median 5.0 ng/ml) than non blood stream infection group( median 0.1 ng/ml)[p<0.01].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PCT is the best biomarker available for the clinical diagnosis of blood stream infection after cardiovascular surgery.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, Yamagata University, Yamagata, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maekawa
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Yukihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshimura
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Cholsu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mizumoto
authors.forename: Mitsuaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sadahiro
authors.forename: Keita
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morikane
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide