title: The impact of tracheotomy on levels of procalcitonin in patients without sepsis: a prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Procalcitonin is a reliable biomarker of infection and sepsis. We aimed to determine whether tracheotomy influences the procalcitonin concentrations in patients without sepsis and assess whether operative duration and procedure affect the peak procalcitonin level.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 38 non-septic patients who required a tracheotomy underwent either a percutaneous dilatational tracheotomy (n=19) or a surgical tracheotomy (n=19). Procalcitonin levels were measured at the beginning of the tracheotomy and at 2 h, 4 h, 8 h, 24 h, 48 h and 72 h after the procedure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The baseline procalcitonin concentration before the tracheotomy was 0.24 ± 0.13 ng/mL. The postoperative levels increased rapidly, with a 4-fold elevation after 2 h, reaching a peak 4 h later with a 5-fold increase over baseline. Thereafter, the levels gradually returned to 2-fold greater than the baseline level within 72 h. The peak levels of procalcitonin showed a significant positive correlation with operative durations (r=0.710, p<0.001) and procedures (rho=0.670, p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients without sepsis, tracheotomy induces a rapid release of serum procalcitonin, and the operative duration and procedure have significant impacts on the peak procalcitonin levels. Thus, the nonspecific increase in procalcitonin levels following tracheotomy needs to be considered when this measure is used to evaluate infection.
authors.affiliation: The First People's Hospital of Chenzhou, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Institute of Translational Medicine, Hunan, Chenzhou, CN.
authors.forename: Xingui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: The First People's Hospital of Chenzhou, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Institute of Translational Medicine, Hunan, Chenzhou, CN.
authors.forename: Chunlai
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Central South University, Hunan, Changsha, CN.
authors.forename: Changfa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: The First People's Hospital of Chenzhou, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Institute of Translational Medicine, Hunan, Chenzhou, CN.
authors.forename: Yeping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: The First People's Hospital of Chenzhou, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Institute of Translational Medicine, Hunan, Chenzhou, CN.
authors.forename: Sheng'an
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: The First People's Hospital of Chenzhou, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Institute of Translational Medicine, Hunan, Chenzhou, CN.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: The First People's Hospital of Chenzhou, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Institute of Translational Medicine, Hunan, Chenzhou, CN.
authors.forename: Daibing
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kuang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061646:Operative Time; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors; D014140:Tracheotomy
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide