Combined serum eosinophil count and procalcitonin level as a marker of bacterial infection in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Respiratory infection is a common causes of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). There were a few studies about a differential marker of viral or bacterial infection as a cause of AECOPD. AIMS AND OBJECTS: In this retrospective study, we evaluated serum eosinophil count and procalcitonin (PCT) level in patients with AECOPD according to laboratory confirmed the bacterial infection. METHODS: We analyzed the medical records of patients with AECOPD from January 2011 to June 2015. Patients with AECOPD were divided into two groups: patients with isolation of bacteria and those without isolation of bacteria. And white blood cell (WBC) count, eosinophil count, serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and PCT were compared among two groups. RESULTS: Among 237 patients with AECOPD, bacterial isolation group were 117. The mean value of eosinophil count was 83.74/mm 3 in bacterial isolation group and 188.81/mm 3 in non-bacterial isolation group. The eosinophil count was significantly lower in bacterial isolation group (P CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest the combined serum eosinophil count and PCT level is a useful marker in evaluation of the cause of AECOPD and decision making of antibiotic use in patients with AECOPD.