Article
Procalcitonin and C-reactive protein serum levels as markers of infection in a pediatric population with febrile neutropenia and cancer
Fecha
2009Autor
Martinez-Albarran, M.
Perez-Molina, J.D.J.
Gallegos-Castorena, S.
Sanchez-Zubieta, F.
Del Toro-Arreola, S.
Troyo-Sanroman, R.
Gonzalez-Ramella, O.
Institución
Resumen
Background: Procalcitonin and C-reactive-protein are inflammatory markers for sepsis. The authors evaluated their sensitivity and specificity in pediatric patients with cancer and febrile neutropenia. Procedure: Serum procalcitonin and C-reactive-protein were evaluated. Patients (n = 54) were divided into 2 groups, with severe infection (n = 18) or without documented infection (n = 36). Results: Procalcitonin and C-reactive protein were significantly higher in the high-risk group. Procalcitonin displayed 72.2% sensitivity and 80.5% specificity. C-reactive-protein had a sensitivity of 77.7% and specificity of 77.2%. Conclusions: Procalcitonin is an accurate predictor of bacterial infection in neutropenic children, while C-reactive-protein may be a better screening test in emergency settings. Copyright © Informa Healthcare USA, Inc.