title: Efficacy of measuring procalcitonin levels in determination of prognosis and early diagnosis of bacterial resistance in sepsis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rapid and proper diagnosis of sepsis is one of the daily challenges of emergency department (ED) and intensive care units. The general aim of the present study was to determine the efficacy of measuring procalcitonin levels in the early diagnosis of bacterial resistance to antibiotics administered empirically in patients with sepsis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present cross-sectional study consisted of patients with clinical evidence of sepsis or systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), referring to the ED of a third-level hospital in Tehran, Iran in 2012. After collection of basic and clinical data of patients, venous blood samples were taken for routine laboratory tests and determination of procalcitonin serum levels at baseline and 6 and 24 hours after administration of the first dose of an empirical antibiotic. The subjects were divided into two groups of discharged and expired and then comparisons were made using t-test, Chi-squared test and Fisher's test. Specificity and sensitivity of procalcitonin were evaluated along with ROC curve.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the present study, 170 patients with sepsis were included. Evaluation of serum levels of procalcitonin 24 hours after administration of antibiotics exhibited the best sensitivity and specificity for each patient's response to antibiotics. Use of the cutoff point of 6.5 mg/mL for procalcitonin can predict the disease outcome with sensitivity and specificity of 67% and 80%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is suggested that procalcitonin be used for the diagnosis of sepsis or SIRS resulting from an infectious disease, for follow-up of treatment and for evaluation of response to treatment.
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Ali Arhami
authors: AA
authors: Dolatabadi
authors: Department of Anesthesiology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Elham
authors: E
authors: Memary
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Afshin
authors: A
authors: Amini
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Majid
authors: M
authors: Shojaee
authors: Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta.
authors: Ali
authors: A
authors: Abdalvand
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Department of Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Hamid Reza
authors: HR
authors: Hatamabadi
keywords: Procalcitonin; sensitivity; sepsis; specificity
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