PELOD score, serum procalcitonin, and lactate levels in pediatric sepsis

Abstract

Background Sepsis remains a major cause of morbidity andmortality among critically ill children in the pediatric intensivecare unit (PICU). Procalcitonin and lactate have been used asbiomarkers of sepsis, as they have been correlated with diseaseseverity, organ failure and death. The Pediatric Logistic OrganDysfunction (PELOD) score is a tool to assess the severity oforgan dysfunction in critically ill children.Objective To investigate the correlation between PELOD scoreand procalcitonin and lactate levels in pediatric sepsis.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in childrenwith sepsis who were admitted to the PICU from April to July2012. Sepsis was defined as systemic inflammatory responsesyndrome (SIRS), as a result of suspected or proven infection.Proven infection was defined as positive culture findings (blood,􀁘􀁕􀁌􀁑􀁈􀀃 􀁒􀁕􀀃 􀁒􀁗􀁋􀁈􀁕􀀃 􀁖􀁓􀁈􀁆􀁌􀁐􀁈􀁑􀁖􀀌􀀃 􀁄􀁑􀁇􀀒􀁒􀁕􀀃 􀁖􀁈􀁕􀁘􀁐􀀃 􀁓􀁕􀁒􀁆􀁄􀁏􀁆􀁌􀁗􀁒􀁑􀁌􀁑􀀃 􀂕􀀕􀀃 􀁑􀁊􀀒mL. Spearman’s test was used to assess for correlations betweenPELOD scores and procalcitonin as well as lactate levels.Results Thirty-two patients were analyzed, consisting of 18 malesand 14 females with an age range of 1-432 months (median 21months). There was no statistically significant correlation betweenprocalcitonin level and PELOD score (r=- 0.186, 95%CI -0.502to 0.174, P=0.308) nor between lactate level(r=-0.069, 95%CI-0.408 to 0.287, P=0.709) and PELOD score.Conclusion Serum procalcitonin and lactate levels are notcorrelated with PELOD scores in children with sepsis.