title: Can procalcitonin be a diagnostic marker for catheter-related blood stream infection in children?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The potential role of procalcitonin (PCT) in the diagnosis of catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSIs) is still unclear and requires further research. The diagnostic value of serum PCT for the diagnosis of CRBSI in children is evaluated here.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was conducted between October 2013 and November 2014, and included patients with suspected CRBSI from 1 month to 18 years of age who were febrile, with no focus of infection, and had a central venous catheter. Levels of PCT and other serum markers were measured, and their utility as CRBSI markers was assessed. Additionally, the clinical performance of a new, automated, rapid, and quantitative assay for the detection of PCT was tested.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 49 patients, 24 were diagnosed with CRBSI. The PCT-Kryptor and PCT-RTA values were significantly higher in proven CRBSI compared to those in unproven CRBSI (p=0.03 and p=0.03, respectively). There were no differences in white blood cell count and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels between proven CRBSI and unproven CRBSI. Among the 24 patients with CRBSI, CRP was significantly higher among those with Gram-negative bacterial infection than in those with Gram-positive bacterial infections. PCT-Kryptor was also significantly higher among patients with Gram-negative bacterial infection than in those with Gram-positive bacterial infections (p=0.01 and p=0.02, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The authors suggest that PCT could be a helpful rapid diagnostic marker in children with suspected CRBSIs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey. Electronic address: yas.oguz99@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Yasemin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ozsurekci
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kamile
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oktay Arıkan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cihangül
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bayhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Eda
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karadağ-Öncel
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Emre Aycan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Venhar
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gürbüz
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gülşen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hasçelik
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ceyhan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D055499:Catheter-Related Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002116:Calcitonin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein
keywords: Biomarcadores; Biomarkers; Bloodstream infection; C-reactive protein; Children; Crianças; Infecção da corrente sanguínea; Procalcitonin; Procalcitonina; Proteína C reativa