Comparison of procalcitonin levels in differentiating the causes of fever in children, depending on the diagnostic method
Journal Title: Postępy Nauk Medycznych - Year 2011, Vol 24, Issue 12
Abstract
<b>Introduction.</b> In the diagnosis of fevers in children fast diagnostic tests are particularly valuable. They enable an early diagnosis of a disease and the implementation of appropriate treatment. <br><b>Aim of the study.</b> Comparison of two diagnostic methods (semi-quantitative and quantitative) of assessing the procalcitonin concentration in blood serum in children with fever. <br><b>Material and methods.</b> The study included 201 children (121 boys and 80 girls) aged from 1 month to 17 years (average 3.8 years), hospitalized at the Clinical Department of Pediatrics, Bielański Hospital in Warsaw, in the period of two subsequent years (2007-2009). The criterion to include the child in the study was a body temperature ≥ 38.5°C. In 129 (64%) children the assessment was carried out using the rapid test (PCT-Q), in 177 (88%) children using the immunoluminometric method (ILMA). In 105 out of 201 (52%) children both tests were performed (PCT-Q and PCT-ILMA). The patients were categorised into one of four groups, depending on the level of PCT: group 1 PCT < 0.5 ng/ml, group 2 ≥ 0.5 < 2 ng/ml, group 3 ≥ 2< 10 ng/ml and group 4 ≥ 10 ng/ml. <br><b>Results.</b> A positive PCT-Q (≥ 05 ng/ml) rapid test result occurred in 48 out of 129 (37%) children, of which in 30 (23%) the result belonged to group 2 (PCT-Q 0.5-2 ng/ml), in 9 (7%) to group 3 (PCT-Q 2-10 ng/ml) and in the remaining 9 (7%) to group 4 (PCT-Q > 10 ng/ml). In 81 (63%) children the test was negative (< 0.5 ng/ml). The procalcitonin level was determined using the immunoluminometric method (PCT-ILMA) in 177 out of 201 (88%) children, with positive PCT (≥ 0.5 ng/ml) levels in 76 out of 177 (43%) cases. A significant dependence was observed for the PCT-ILMA (p = 0.04) levels in blood serum between bacterial infections (average value/level 34.27 ng/ml) and viral ones (0.57 ng/ml) or of an unspecified etiology (2.9 ng/ml).
Authors and Affiliations
Teresa Jackowska, Joanna Anyszka, Katarzyna Pawlik, Barbara Czarnocka
Keywords
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