title: [Predictive value of procalcitonin in children with suspected sepsis].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The use of biomarkers could be a tool for diagnosis, prognosis and stratifying children with sepsis. Our main goal was to analyze the value of procalcitonin (PCT), C reactive protein (CRP) and lactate in predicting mortality, septic shock and the stratification in children with suspected sepsis
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study in 81 patients. Plasma levels of PCT, CRP and lactate were measured at admission in the pediatric intensive care unit. Patients were categorized into systemic inflammatory response syndrome, sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Concentrations of PCT (ng/mL) increased significantly according to the severity of sepsis: 0.36 (0-1.2) for systemic inflammatory response syndrome; 1.96 (0.4-3.5) for sepsis; 7.5 (3.9-11.1) for severe sepsis; and 58.9 (35.1-82.7) for septic shock (P<.001). Compared to CRP and lactate, the area under the ROC curve revealed a good discriminative power of PCT to predict septic shock and mortality, 0.91 (95% CI: 0.83-0.97) and 0.80 (95% CI: 0.69-0.88), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In contrast to CRP and lactate, the determination of PCT in pediatric intensive care unit admission is a good predictor of mortality and septic shock and can stratify patients according to severity of sepsis.
authors: Unidad de Cuidado Intensivo Pediátrico, Hospital Guillermo Grant Benavente, Concepción, Chile. Electronic address: robustos64@yahoo.com.ar.
authors: Raúl
authors: R
authors: Bustos B
authors: División de Salud Pública, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago, Chile.
authors: Oslando
authors: O
authors: Padilla P
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D018746:Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019344:Lactic Acid; D002116:Calcitonin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein
keywords: Biomarcadores; Biomarkers; C Reactive Protein; Procalcitonin; Procalcitonina; Proteína C reactiva; Sepsis