PROCALCITONIN-EARLY BIOCHEMICAL MARKER FOR DIAGNOSIS, PROGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF SEPSIS IN NEONATES AND ONCOLOGICAL PATIENTS WITH FEBRILE NEUTROPENIA
Abstract
Pediatric sepsis is a life-threatening condition, in which the immune system, instead of controlling the infection,causes damage to tissues and organs. The aim of this study was to determine the role of procalcitonin (PCT)in the early diagnosis of sepsis in high-risk infants and Oncological patients with febrile neutropenia,its prognostic value,and the role of PCT in the choice of antibiotic. The study is designed as retrospective-prospective, it is being worked at the PHI UC for Children Diseases Skopje. It includes 60 critical newborns and 40 Oncology patients.The examined group were divided into two subgroups:30 critical infants with bacterial sepsis in the intensive care unit and 20 Oncological patients with sepsis and febrile neutropenia.PCT was determined the first 24h,3-5 days and 6-14 days of hospitalization.The value of PCT during the first 24 hours of admission was increased in all 50 patients.Most of them had signs of severe sepsis and few od them had signs of septic shock. In all of them,double parenteral antibiotic therapy was started.Seven patients has died in the first five days.After 3-5 days of the start of antibiotic therapy, PCT values ​​decreased.After the third measurement, PCT values ​​continued to decrease and in majority of the patients the antibiotic therapy was discontinued. By measuring the values ​of PCT, an early diagnosis of sepsis can be made. This is important to start with antibiotics to prevent sepsis and septic shock.The dynamic in the values ​​of PCT determine the duration of antibiotic,its modification,the rational uses of antibiotics and the emergence of resistance to it.
Keywords: sepsis, procalcitonin (PCT), antibiotic therapy
References
Antibiotic Stewardship: Opportunities and Challenges.Clinical Chemistry 63:9 1436–1441 (2017)
2. Becker KL, Snider R, Nylen ES. Procalcitonin in sepsis and systemic inflammation: a harmful biomarker and a
therapeutic target. Br J Pharmacol 2010;159:253– 64.
3. Sager R, Kutz A, Mueller B, and Schuetz P. Procalcitoninguided diagnosis and antibiotic stewardship revisited.
BMC Medicine 2017;15:15.
4. Meisner M. Update on procalcitonin measurements. Ann Lab Med. 2014 Jul;34 (4):263-73
5. Broyles MR. Impact of procalcitonin-guided antibiotic management on antibiotic exposure and outcomes:
realworld evidence. Open Forum Infect Dis 2017;4:4.
6. Huang DT, Yealy DM, Filbin MR, Brown AM, Chang CH, Doi Y, et al. Procalcitonin-guided use of antibiotics for
lower respiratory tract infection. N Engl J Med 2018;379: 236 – 49.
7. Linscheid P, Seboek D, Nylen ES, Langer I, Schlatter M, Becker KL, et al. In vitro and in vivo calcitonin I gene
expression in parenchymal cells: a novel product of human adipose tissue. Endocrinology. 2003;144:5578–84.
8. Dellinger RP, Carlet JM, Masur H, et all; Surviving Sepsis Campaign Management
Guidelines Committee. Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines for management of
severe sepsis and septic shock. Crit Care Med. 2004 ;32(3):858-73. Review.
9. Llewelyn M, Cohen J; International Sepsis Forum. Diagnosis of infection in sepsis.
Intensive Care Med. 2001;27 Suppl 1:S10-32. Review.
10. Giunti M, Peli A, Battilani M, Zacchini S, Militerno G, Otto CM. Evaluation of CALC-I gene (CALCA) expression in
tissues of dogs with signs of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome. J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Ant.
2010 Oct;20 (5):523-7
11. Lee H. Procalcitonin as a biomarker of infectious diseases. Korean J Intern Med. 2013 May;28 (3):285-91
12. Schneider HG, Lam QT. Procalcitonin for the clinical laboratory: a review. Pathology. 2007 Aug;39 (4):383-90
13. Kim H, Kim Y, Lee HK, Kim KH, Yeo CD.Comparison of the delta neutrophil index with procalcitonin and C-
reactive protein in sepsis.Clin Lab. 2014;60(12):2015-21.
14. Fioretto J. R. et al.. Comparison between procalcitonin and C-reactive protein for early diagnosis of children
with sepsis or septic shock. Inflamm. Res. 59, 581–586 (2010).
15. Jensen JU, Heslet L, Jensen TH, Espersen K, Steffensen P, Tvede M.Procalcitonin increase in early identification
of critically ill patients at high risk of mortality.Crit Care Med. 2006 Oct; 34(10):2596-602
16. Kim H, Kim Y, Lee HK, Kim KH, Yeo CD.Comparison of the delta neutrophil index with procalcitonin and C-
reactive protein in sepsis.Clin Lab. 2014;60(12):2015-21.
17. Groselj-Grenc M, Ihan A, Pavcnik-Arnol M, Kopitar AN, Gmeiner-Stopar T, Derganc M.Neutrophil and
monocyte CD64 indexes, lipopolysaccharide-binding protein, procalcitonin and C-reactive protein in sepsis of
critically ill newborns and children.Intensive Care Med. 2009 Nov;35(11):1950-8. doi: 10.1007/s00134-009-1637-
7.
18. Schuetz P, Albrich W, Mueller B. Procalcitonin for diagnosis of infection and guide to antibiotic decisions: past,
present and future. BMC Med. 2011;9:107
19. Ugarte H, Silva E, Mercan D, De Mendonça A, Vincent JL. Procalcitonin used as a marker of infection in the
intensive care unit. Crit Care Med. 1999;27:498–504.
20. Hansson LO, Lindquist L. C-reactive protein: its role in the diagnosis and follow-up of infectious diseases. Curr
Opin Infect Dis. 1997;10:196–201.
21. Hughes WT, Armstrong D, Bodey GP, Bow EJ, Calandra T, Feld R, Pizzo PA, Rolston KVI, Shenep JL, Young LS.
Guidelines for the use of antimicrobial agents in neutropenic patients with cancer. Clin Infect Dis.
2002;34:730–51. doi: 10.1086/339215
22. Caterino J. M., Scheatzle M. D., Forbes M. L. & D’Antonio J. A. Bacteremic elder emergency department
patients: procalcitonin and white count. Acad. Emerg. Med. 11, 393–396 (2004).
23. Katz JA, Mustafa MM, Bash RO, Cash JV, Buchanan GR. Value of C-reactive protein determination in the initial
diagnostic evaluation of the febrile, neutropenic child with cancer. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 1992;11:708–712.
24. Giamarellos-Bourboulis EJ, Grecka P, Poulakou G, Anargyrou K, Katsilambros N, Giamarellou H. Assessment of
procalcitonin as a diagnostic marker of underlying infection in patients with febrile neutropenia. Clin Infect
Dis. 2001;32:1718–1728.
25. Castelli GP, Pognani C, Meisner M, Stuani A, Bellomi D, Sgarbi L. Procalcitonin and C-reactive protein during
systemic inflammatory response syndrome, sepsis and organ dysfunction. Crit Care. 2004;8:R234–R242