Evaluation of the Relationship Between Procalcitonin Level and the Causative Pathogen in Intensive Care Patients With Sepsis

Abstract

Aim: This study was designed to investigate how procalcitonin (PCT) levels are affected by different pathogens in patients with sepsis. Materials & methods: A total of 110 Gram-positive sepsis, 62 Gram-negative sepsis and 27 fungal sepsis patients were included in the study. Kaplan–Meier and ROC curve analysis was performed to assess PCT levels. Results: PCT levels were 2.36 ng/ml in Gram-negative patients, 0.79 ng/ml in Gram-positive patients and 0.89 ng/ml in fungal patients. The area under the curve for PCT was 0.608, the cutoff value was 1.34, sensitivity was 56.50% the specificity was 56.50%. Conclusion: PCT survival levels of 7.71 ng/ml in Gram-negative patients, 2.65 ng/ml in Gram-positive patients and 1.16 ng/ml in fungal patients can be evaluated to predict survival.

Tweetable abstract

PCT levels can distinguish Gram-negative sepsis patients from other sepsis patients with different pathogens. In addition, PCT levels can be evaluated to predict survival in patients with sepsis.

Keywords::

• bacteremia
• intensive care unit
• procalcitonin
• sepsis

Author contributions

M Bilgin, R Aci, A Keskin, EM Yilmaz and E Polat were involved in the study concept and design and critical revision of the article for important intellectual content. R Aci and M Bilgin did the lab work. R Aci, M Bilgin, EM Yilmaz and A Keskin analyzed the data, drafted the article and had primary responsibility for the final content. A Keskin and R Aci interpreted the data. All authors approved the final article.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations.