Semi-quantitative Procalcitonin Assay in Critically ill Patients with Respiratory infections

basis. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid for the purpose of quantitative cultures (≥10 4 cfu/mL) was obtained from all patients. Serum procalcitonin levels determined by PCT -Q kit were measured on BAL day and classified as follows; ＜0.5 ng/mL, 0.5∼2.0 ng/mL, 2.0∼ 10.0 ng/mL and ＞10.0 ng/mL. We analyzed the patient’s characteristics according to outcome; favorable or unfavorable, defined as death. Results: Patients from the following categories were included: medical 17 (47.2%), surgical 9 (25%), and burned 10 (27.8%). APACHE II scores on admission to intensive care unit were 11.5±6.89 and 11 (30.6%) had unfavorable outcomes. A procalcitonin level ≥0.5 ng/mL was in 17 (47.2%) of all. On univariate analysis, the frequencies of burn injury, mechanical ventilation, multiple organ failure, and a procalcitonin level ≥0.5 ng/mL were more often increased in patients with unfavorable outcomes than in those with favorable outcomes (p＜.05). Also, a higher procalcitonin range and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) were more closely associated with an unfavorable outcome (p＜.05). However in multivariate analysis, a strong predictor of unfavorable outcome was burn injury (p＜.05). A procalcitonin level ≥0.5 ng/mL was more sensitive in predicting VAP than unfavorable outcome. Conclusion: A higher procalcitonin level seems to be associated with VAP, but further study is required to know that procalcitonin would be a prognostic marker in critically ill patients with respiratory infections.