Serum procalcitonin at the time of admission to the ICU as a predictor of short-term mortality

Abstract

Objective This purpose of this study was to determine if serum procalcitonin (PCT) concentration at the time of admission to the ICU is a predictor of all-cause short-term mortality. Design and methods This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted over a 16-month period with 86 consecutive critically ill patients. The semi-quantitative PCT-Q test was performed and APACHE II scores and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations were determined within 24 h of admission. Results PCT-Q test value was a better predictor of all-cause short-term mortality than CRP value or APACHE II score. PCT ≥ 10 ng/mL was highly and independently correlated with mortality. Use of PCT-Q ≥ 10 ng/mL was superior to use of APACHE II ≥ 25 or CRP ≥ 10 mg/dL as a predictor of poor outcome. Conclusions A PCT-Q value ≥ 10 ng/mL obtained at the time of admission to the ICU is a strong predictor of short-term mortality.