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Case Studies | Health and Medical Sciences | India | Volume 12 Issue 6, June 2023

Procalcitonin as a Biomarker in Intensive Care Unit Patients with Sepsis

Harshad .S | Luseena .P | Jasni Mol

Abstract: Inflammatory response is one of the primary responses to a microbial invasion, which leads to the systemic illness which is referred to as sepsis. Sepsis is a Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) that affect all organs. WBC, C-reactive protein C? Reactive Protein (CRP) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) are the conventional markers used for diagnosis of sepsis. Cytokines like Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF), IL-1 and IL-6 are elevated during sepsis, but they do not possess sufficient sensitivity or specificity for the development of clinical markers. Blood culture is considered as the gold standard for the confirmation of bacteremia which can isolate and identify the causative agent and subsequently test the antimicrobial sensitivity, but the delayed process of bacterial culture emphasizes the early diagnosis of sepsis. Several studies mentioned the advantages of the precursor molecule of calcitonin, namely procalcitonin as a biomarker for sepsis. The serum Procalcitonin (PCT) level rises rapidly than CRP levels and peaks within very short time; moreover, if the patient responds appropriately to the treatment, the level of PCT returns to normal range faster than CRP which makes it a better biomarker for sepsis.

Keywords: Procalcitonin, Sepsis, Intensive Care Unit, C-Reactive Protein, Interleukin

Edition: Volume 12 Issue 6, June 2023,

Pages: 1442 - 1446