title: Procalcitonin in patients with influenza A (H1N1) infection and acute respiratory failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To verify serum procalcitonin levels of patients with acute respiratory failure secondary to influenza A (H1N1) upon their admission to the Intensive Care Unit and to compare these results to values found in patients with sepsis and trauma admitted to the same unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of records of patients infected with influenza A (H1N1) and respiratory failure admitted to the General Intensive Care Unit during in a period of 60 days. The values of serum procalcitonin and clinical and laboratory data were compared to those of all patients admitted with sepsis or trauma in the previous year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among patients with influenza A (H1N1) (n = 16), the median serum procalcitonin level upon admission was 0.11 ng/mL, lower than in the sepsis group (p < 0.001) and slightly lower than in trauma patients. Although the mean values were low, serum procalcitonin was a strong predictor of hospital mortality in patients with influenza A (H1N1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with influenza A (H1N1) with severe acute respiratory failure presented with low serum procalcitonin values upon admission, although their serum levels are predictors of hospital mortality. The kinetics study of this biomarker may be a useful tool in the management of this group of patients.
authors.affiliation: Departament of Emergency and Intensive Medicine, Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná, Cascavel, PR, BR.
authors.forename: Péricles Almeida Delfino
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná, Cascavel, PR, BR.
authors.forename: Carla Sakuma de Oliveira
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Bredt
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná, Cascavel, PR, BR.
authors.forename: Gerson Luís
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Bredt
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná, Cascavel, PR, BR.
authors.forename: Amaury César
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Jorge
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná, Cascavel, PR, BR.
authors.forename: Alisson
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Venazzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná, Cascavel, PR, BR.
authors.forename: Leônidas Gustavo
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Tondo
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná, Cascavel, PR, BR.
authors.forename: Luciana Schmidt Cardon de
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná, Cascavel, PR, BR.
authors.forename: Marcela Maria
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Jorge
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná, Cascavel, PR, BR.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marchiori
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná, Cascavel, PR, BR.
authors.forename: Thiago Simões
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Giancursi
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná, Cascavel, PR, BR.
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coradin
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná, Cascavel, PR, BR.
authors.forename: Anderson Gustavo
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Alexandrino