BACKGROUND Bloodstream infection (BSI) is associated with a high mortality rate. Since the origin of infection is demonstrated in approximately 2/3rds of cases, early and established biomarkers are warranted. We evaluated the clinical performances of automated procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) assays for the quantitative detection of BSI. Analytical performance of the VIDAS(R) BR...

Bacterial infections and sepsis are major problems in critically ill patients. Timely diagnosis and therapy reduce morbidity and mortality. Many studies have included the investigation of various biomarkers whose elevated concentrations can indicate sepsis; among them, PCT proved to be most useful. PCT is synthesized in the thyroid gland as a prohormone of calcitonin. In healthy individuals the...

BACKGROUND We aimed to determine the association between platelet indices including plateletcrit (PCT), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), and proteinuria associated with hypertension (HT) as well as the relative power of each to predict proteinuria. METHODS The study included 223 patients (68 men and 155 women) with primary HT. PCT, MPV, PDW, and proteinuria level...

BACKGROUND Procalcitonin (PCT) has been proposed as a marker of infection and was studied in neutropenic patients. This study investigated its role in non-neutropenic febrile cancer patients (NNCPs). METHODS Between July 2009 and July 2010, a total of 248 NNCPs with fever were studied. PCT was measured in plasma within 24 hours of fever onset and 4 to 7 days thereafter, using a Kryptor system...

BACKGROUND Aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation of inflammatory markers procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP) and leukocyte count (WBC) with microbiological etiology of CAP. METHODS We enrolled 1337 patients (62 +/- 18 y, 45% f) with proven CAP. Extensive microbiological workup was performed. In all patients PCT, CRP, WBC and CRB-65 score were determined. Patients were cl...

INTRODUCTION Prompt and accurate diagnosis of sepsis is of high importance for clinicians. Procalcitonine (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) have been proposed as markers for this purpose. Our aim was to evaluate the levels of PCT and CRP in early sepsis and its correlation with severity of sepsis. METHODS Levels of PCT and CRP were taken from 60 patients with sepsis criteria and 39 patients ...