[Procalcitonin - marker of severe infection and sepsis]

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), severe infection and sepsis are the problems of present interest in contemporary medicine. The specificity and sensitivity of widespread clinical and laboratory parameters are insufficient for diagnosing these diseases. A new marker for diagnosing of infective etiology of SIRS, severe infection and sepsis which allows early diagnosis and begin specific treatment is procalcitonin (PCT). In severe viral infections or inflammatory reaction of non-infective origin the level of PCT does not elevate or increases moderately. The level of PCT correlates with the severity of SIRS: the more severe the SIRS, the higher the level of PCT. The monitoring of PCT allows a rapid diagnosis of infective complications in patients after severe injuries or operations, in acute respiratory distress syndrome. PCT is considered as a marker of severe bacterial and parasitic infection. However, PCT should not be considered as the only marker we can rely upon in diagnosing of sepsis. The levels of PCT correlate with levels of TNF and IL-6. But the pathophysiological role of PCT in sepsis is not definitely clear yet. The indexes of PCT are most valuable for evaluating treatment efficiency and prognosis.