title: Serum Procalcitonin and Procalcitonin Clearance as a Prognostic Biomarker in Patients with Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock.
abstract: We evaluated the tendency of the plasma concentration and procalcitonin (PCT) clearance (PCTc) to act as biomarkers of prognosis in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. From 2011 to 2013, we prospectively analyzed patients with sepsis admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). The serum PCT was evaluated at the time of sepsis diagnosis and again after 48 h (day 3) and 96 h (day 5). PCTc after 48 h (PCTc-day 3) and 96 h (PCTc-day 5) was also calculated to evaluate the prognostic value for survival in patients with sepsis. A total of 48 patients were included. Overall mortality was 16.7% (8 patients). PCTc was higher in survivors than in nonsurvivors, with significant differences on day 3 and day 5 (p = 0.033; p = 0.002, resp.); however, serum PCT levels on day 1, day 3, and day 5 were not significant prognostic factors for survival. The prognosis of patients with severe sepsis and septic shock may be associated with PCTc. Dynamic changes of PCT reflected as PCTc at 48 h (day 3) and 96 h (day 5) after admission to the ICU may serve as a predictor of survival in critically ill patients with severe sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital, the Buddhist Medical Foundation, Taichung 42743, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Min-Yi
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua 500, Taiwan; School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 402, Taiwan; School of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chun-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital, the Buddhist Medical Foundation, Taichung 42743, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ju-Huei
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chien
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital, the Buddhist Medical Foundation, Taichung 42743, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kun-Hsi
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua 500, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: School of Post-Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan; Department of Hematology-Oncology, Children's Hospital, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kang-Hsi
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9145-0522
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric General Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Kweishan, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Han-Ping
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000097:blood* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002116:Calcitonin