We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
ZeptoMetrix an Antylia scientific company

Roche Diagnostics

Develops, manufactures, and markets a wide range of in vitro diagnostic systems, instruments, reagents, and tests read more Featured Products: More products

Download Mobile App




Serial Procalcitonin Measurements Utilized in Hospitalized Community-Acquired Pneumonia

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 19 Mar 2020
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) refers to pneumonia (any of several lung diseases) contracted by a person with little contact with the healthcare system. More...
CAP, the most common type of pneumonia, is a leading cause of illness and death worldwide. Its causes include bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites.

To improve the prognosis of CAP patients, assessment of its severity is important for selecting appropriate antimicrobial agents and site of treatment, whether as an outpatient or in hospital, including a general ward or intensive care unit (ICU). Either CURB-65 or the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) is often used to assess the severity of pneumonia because they have been validated to correlate well with prognosis.

Scientists at the Kurashiki Central Hospital (Okayama, Japan) investigated the usefulness of serial procalcitonin (PCT) measurements for predicting the prognosis and treatment efficacy for hospitalized CAP patients. This prospective, multicenter, cohort study enrolled consecutive CAP patients who were hospitalized at 10 hospitals in western Japan from September 2013 to September 2016.

Sputum and blood for cultures and blood for measuring serum antibodies were collected on admission to detect the causative pathogens of CAP. In all hospitals, the serum PCT levels were measured by the Elecsys BRAHMS PCT automated immunoassay (Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Mannheim, Germany), which had a detection limit of 0.02 ng/mL.

The investigators reported that in the 710 patients, 366 microorganisms were identified. The most common causative microorganism was Streptococcus pneumoniae (22.2%), followed by Haemophilus influenzae (11.1%). Both PCT and CRP values on day 1 (D1), D3, and D7 were significantly higher in non-survivors than in survivors. From D1 to D3, the non-survivor group showed increased PCT (PCT D3/D1 > 1) more often than the survivor group, whereas the increase of CRP (CRP D3/D1 >1) was not significantly different. Compared with patients with treatment success, patients with early treatment failure showed significantly higher values of PCT D1, D3, and CRP D3, but similar CRP D1 values.

The authors concluded that to assess prognosis and treatment efficacy in CAP, it would be ideal to measure PCT serially, not only on admission, but again on day 3. If the values of PCT increase from admission to day 3, the antibiotics may need to be changed, or the patients who have deteriorated may require close monitoring. The study was published on March 1, 2020 in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases.

Related Links:
Kurashiki Central Hospital
Roche Diagnostics GmbH



Gold Member
Troponin T QC
Troponin T Quality Control
Verification Panels for Assay Development & QC
Seroconversion Panels
New
Uric Acid Meter
PA-16
New
STI Test
RIDA GENE STI Mycoplasma Panel
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: The POC device rapidly predicts neonatal respiratory disease at birth in the NICU (Photo courtesy of SIME Diagnostics)

AI-Powered Lung Maturity Test Identifies Newborns at Higher Risk of Respiratory Distress

Each year, approximately 300,000 babies in the United States are born between 32 and 36 weeks' gestation, according to national health data. This group is at an elevated risk for respiratory distress,... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: CitoCBC is the world first cartridge-based CBC to be granted CLIA Waived status by FDA (Photo courtesy of CytoChip)

Disposable Cartridge-Based Test Delivers Rapid and Accurate CBC Results

Complete Blood Count (CBC) is one of the most commonly ordered lab tests, crucial for diagnosing diseases, monitoring therapies, and conducting routine health screenings. However, more than 90% of physician... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The cancer stem cell test can accurately choose more effective treatments (Photo courtesy of University of Cincinnati)

Stem Cell Test Predicts Treatment Outcome for Patients with Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer

Epithelial ovarian cancer frequently responds to chemotherapy initially, but eventually, the tumor develops resistance to the therapy, leading to regrowth. This resistance is partially due to the activation... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: A biomarker discovery pipeline has shown promise as a noninvasive method of diagnosing CRC (Photo courtesy of NCI Center for Cancer Research)

Machine Learning Tool Enables Noninvasive Diagnosis and Monitoring of Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States when considering both genders. Colonoscopy remains the gold standard for CRC diagnosis, but it is invasive,... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: Scanning electron microscopy images showing 3D micro-printed Limacon-shaped whispering-gallery-mode microcavities with different amounts of deformation (Photo courtesy of A. Ping Zhang/PolyU)

Tiny Microlaser Sensors with Supercharged Biosensing Ability to Enable Early Disease Diagnosis

Optical whispering-gallery-mode microlaser sensors function by trapping light within tiny microcavities. When target molecules bind to the cavity, they induce subtle changes in the laser’s frequency, allowing... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.