The role of procalcitonin in neonatal intensive care unit patients with candidemia

• DOI: 10.1007/s12223-012-0169-7
• Publication Date: 2012-06-11T11:24:00Z
• Authors: Maria Teresa Mont...; Caterina Coretti; Antonella Rella; Giovanna Barbuti; Fabio Manca; Osvaldo Montagna; Nicola Laforgia; Giuseppina Caggiano
• Keywords: Procalcitonin

Candidemia is a major infectious complication in neonatal patients. The isolation of yeasts from blood still the "gold standard" for its diagnosis, but other laboratory markers (i.e., circulating antigens) have been studied with varying specificities and sensitivities. aim this study was to evaluate role procalcitonin diagnosis candidemia patients at high risk. To verify if use different commercial methods can highlight dissimilar results sensitivity and/or specificity, determination serum levels estimated by two systems. Overall, 90 Neonatal Intensive Care Units were enrolled, whom six developed Candida bloodstream infection. Four infants had slight increase values (0.5-1 ng/mL). Only one baby showed very he fungal bacterial sepsis same time, while no elevation observed sixth patient. No statistically significant difference between time monitoring (p>0.643). Both 83.3 % specificity 73.8 63.1 A B, respectively. In light low sensibility assay, we assume that would not seem play infection