OBJECTIVE Extrahepatic biliary atresia (EHBA) is one of the main causes of neonatal cholestasis. Its early diagnosis could increase the survival of the infants with early surgery. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of procalcitonin and apolipoprotein E (Apo-E) levels in infants with and without EHBA. METHODS This prospective study included 18 infants with EHBA and 15 infants with other caus...

BACKGROUND Early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis followed by appropriate treatment decreases mortality and morbidity in infants. The aim of this study is to assess the role of procalcitonin (PCT) as a marker in the early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis. METHODS We present a cross sectional study where 35 neonates with early onset sepsis (admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Units at El-Minia Chi...

OBJECTIVE To verify serum procalcitonin levels of patients with acute respiratory failure secondary to influenza A (H1N1) upon their admission to the Intensive Care Unit and to compare these results to values found in patients with sepsis and trauma admitted to the same unit. METHODS Analysis of records of patients infected with influenza A (H1N1) and respiratory failure admitted to the Gener...

BACKGROUND The incidence of noninfectious systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) associated with coronary artery bypass surgery and the potential role of several inflammatory parameters as early markers of pulmonary dysfunction induced by cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) were investigated. METHODS Forty patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass surgery were studied prospectively...

Previous randomized controlled trials suggest that using clinical algorithms based on procalcitonin levels, a marker of bacterial infections, results in reduced antibiotic use without a deleterious effect on clinical outcomes. However, algorithms differed among trials and were embedded primarily within the European health care setting. Herein, we summarize the design, efficacy, and safety of pr...

We investigated the value of procalcitonin kinetics as a prognostic marker during ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). This prospective, observational study was conducted in a medical intensive care unit in a university hospital. All consecutive patients with microbiologically proven VAP who survived 3 days after its diagnosis were included and grouped according to clinical outcome: favorable...

BACKGROUND/AIMS The diagnosis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is based on a polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) exceeding 250/μL in ascitic fluid. The aim of the study was to evaluate serum procalcitonin and ascitic fluid calprotectin as accurate diagnostic markers for detecting SBP. METHODS Seventy-nine patients with cirrhotic ascites were included. They were divided into a SBP gr...

Background: Procalcitonin, a precursor protein of the hormone calcitonin, is a sensitive marker for sepsis in human medicine, which is used for diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia in adults and neonates to initiate antibiotic therapy. Objectives: In this study, procalcitonin was evaluated as a potential biomarker for Rhodococcus equi associated pneumonia. Methods: In four foals procalcitonin was m...

OBJECTIVE Acute bacterial meningitis in pediatrics remains a serious and potentially lethal disease. Its prognosis is critically dependent on rapid diagnosis and treatment. The use of biological markers, like procalcitonin, has been proposed to facilitate the accuracy of the initial diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. The aim of this study was assessment the diagnostic values of serum procalcito...

BACKGROUND In this study, using an animal model of acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI), we investigated the possible use of procalcitonin and phosphorus in the early diagnosis of AMI. METHODS In this study, 21 New Zealand rabbits were used. Subjects were allocated into three groups as Control, Sham and Ischemia. No intervention was performed in the subjects in the Control group. In the subjects i...