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[Diagnostic approach to flogosis: procalcitonin validity]

E Dimitri1, V Amialyanchyk, G D'Angelo

  • 1Clinica Pediatrica dell'Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italia. elisadim@libero.it

Minerva Pediatrica
|April 25, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Procalcitonin and C-reactive protein (CRP) show similar diagnostic accuracy for pediatric diseases. Procalcitonin aids in identifying infection etiology and severity, proving useful in monitoring infections.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Biomarker Analysis
  • Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

  • C-reactive protein (CRP) is a common marker for inflammation.
  • Procalcitonin (PCT) is increasingly recognized as a potential biomarker for bacterial infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Compare procalcitonin (PCT) and CRP as diagnostic markers in pediatric diseases.
  • Evaluate PCT's diagnostic accuracy, correlation with inflammation etiology, and severity.
  • Assess the utility of PCT in differentiating infection types in children.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 141 children hospitalized with fever of bacterial, viral, or inflammatory origin.
  • Measurement of PCT and CRP at hospital admission and after defervescence.
  • Calculation of sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values for both biomarkers.

Main Results:

  • Procalcitonin demonstrated diagnostic accuracy comparable to CRP across all evaluated pediatric cases.
  • PCT positivity was observed in 85.7% of severe infections.
  • PCT aided in identifying the infection etiology in approximately two-thirds of the patients.

Conclusions:

  • Procalcitonin is a promising marker for infection monitoring due to rapid changes in levels and good correlation with infection severity and etiology.
  • While PCT shows potential, routine use is not yet recommended due to uncertainties regarding optimal cut-off values and high costs.
  • Further research is needed to establish standardized protocols for PCT utilization in pediatric clinical practice.
Abstract

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