title: [Procalcitonin as a marker of intra-abdominal infection].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Procalcitonin is a quite specific biomarker of infection and in recent years has shown its superiority to others markers of inflammation, such as C-reactive protein, for the diagnosis and monitoring of a variety of infections.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  For this reason, several researchers have studied the potential role of procalcitonin for diagnosis and management of these infections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intra-abdominal infections are a heterogeneous group of infections that, sometimes, pose difficult challenges to physicians. The published studies have produced mixed results, leading to controversy on the utility of this marker in intra-abdominal infections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This review summarizes these data and discuss the utility of procalcitonin in several intra abdominal infections, including postoperative infections.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de cirugía, Complejo Hospitalario de Pontevedra, Pontevedra, Spain. eliasdomcom@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Elías
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Domínguez-Comesaña
authors.affiliation: Servicio de cirugía, Complejo Hospitalario de Pontevedra, Pontevedra, Spain.
authors.forename: Julio Roberto
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Ballinas-Miranda
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D059413:Intraabdominal Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide
keywords: Procalcitonin; apendicitis; bowel ischemia; infección postoperatoria; isquemia intestinal; pancreatitis; peritonitis; postoperative infection; procalcitonina