J Korean Soc Emerg Med.  2008 Dec;19(6):665-671.

Practical Application of Semiquantitative Procalcitonin Test in Emergency Department

• Kim SW
• Oh YM
• Choe SM
• Choe GH
• Park KN
• Oh JS

Abstract

PURPOSE: Procalcitonin (PCT) is a good marker of infection but is still not routinely used. Here, we assessed the usefulness of a semi-quantitative procalcitonin test kit (PCT-Q(R)), a rapid and simple test for evaluating sepsis in the emergency department.
METHODS
We recruited 80 patients who visited the emergency center and with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Patients were classified into 4 groups according to PCT levels using PCT-Q[Ed-Trademark signs only have to be given one time in a document]. Mortality rate, bacteremia, severity score, and severity of sepsis (SIRS/sepsis/severe sepsis/septic shock) were assessed with the criteria of the American College of Chest Physicians/Society of Critical Care Medicine Consensus Conference. We calculated a receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve), cut-off value, and the related diagnostic parameters of each cut-off value.
RESULTS
Higher PCT levels were significantly associated with increased mortality, bacteremia, and severity scores. PCT levels could discriminate between sepsis and severe sepsis at a threshold of 2 ng/ml.
CONCLUSION
PCT-Q is a prognostic marker of infectious disease, but low levels do not always indicate a good prognosis. PCT levels increase with aggravation of sepsis, especially at values greater than 2 ng/ml for severe sepsis.

Keyword

Procalcitonin; Emergency medicine; Reagent strips

MeSH Terms

Bacteremia
Calcitonin
Communicable Diseases
Consensus
Critical Care
Emergencies
Emergency Medicine
Humans
Prognosis
Protein Precursors
Reagent Strips
ROC Curve
Sepsis
Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome
Thorax
Calcitonin
Protein Precursors
Reagent Strips