Serum procalcitonin as a diagnostic biomarker for sepsis in burned patients: A meta-analysis

Surviving Sepsis After Burn Campaign

INTRODUCTION

The Surviving Sepsis Campaign was developed to improve outcomes for all patients with sepsis. Despite sepsis being the primary cause of death after thermal injury, burns have always been excluded from the Surviving Sepsis efforts. To improve sepsis outcomes in burn patients, an international group of burn experts developed the Surviving Sepsis After Burn Campaign (SSABC) as a testable guideline to improve burn sepsis outcomes.

METHODS

The International Society for Burn Injuries (ISBI) reached out to regional or national burn organizations to recommend members to participate in the program. Two members of the ISBI developed specific "patient/population, intervention, comparison and outcome" (PICO) questions that paralleled the 2021 Surviving Sepsis Campaign [1]. SSABC participants were asked to search the current literature and rate its quality for each topic. At the Congress of the ISBI, in Guadalajara, Mexico, August 28, 2022, a majority of the participants met to create "statements" based on the literature. The "summary statements" were then sent to all members for comment with the hope of developing an 80% consensus. After four reviews, a consensus statement for each topic was created or "no consensus" was reported.

RESULTS

The committee developed sixty statements within fourteen topics that provide guidance for the early treatment of sepsis in burn patients. These statements should be used to improve the care of sepsis in burn patients. The statements should not be considered as "static" comments but should rather be used as guidelines for future testing of the best treatments for sepsis in burn patients. They should be updated on a regular basis.

CONCLUSION

Members of the burn community from the around the world have developed the Surviving Sepsis After Burn Campaign guidelines with the goal of improving the outcome of sepsis in burn patients.

Biomarkers in sepsis-looking for the Holy Grail or chasing a mirage!

Sepsis is defined as a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by the dysregulated host response to infection. It is a complex syndrome and is characterized by physiologic, pathologic and biochemical abnormalities in response to an infection. Diagnosis of sepsis is based on history, physical examination and other investigations (including biomarkers) which may help to increase the certainty of diagnosis. Biomarkers have been evaluated in the past for many diseases and have been evaluated for sepsis as well. Biomarkers may find a possible role in diagnosis, prognostication, therapeutic monitoring and anti-microbial stewardship in sepsis. Since the pathophysiology of sepsis is quite complex and is incompletely understood, a single biomarker that may be robust enough to provide all information has not been found as of yet. However, many biomarkers have been studied and some of them have applications at the bedside and guide clinical decision-making. We evaluated the PubMed database to search for sepsis biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and possible role in antibiotic escalation and de-escalation. Clinical trials, meta-analyses, systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials were included. Commonly studied biomarkers such as procalcitonin, Soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator (Supar), presepsin, soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1, interleukin 6, C-reactive protein, etc., have been described for their possible applications as biomarkers in septic patients. The sepsis biomarkers are still an area of active research with newer evidence adding to the knowledge base continuously. For patients presenting with sepsis, early diagnosis and prompt resuscitation and early administration of anti-microbials (preferably within 1 h) and source control are desired goals. Biomarkers may help us in the diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic monitoring of septic patients. The marker redefining our view on sepsis is yet a mirage that clinicians and researchers continue to chase.

[Which biomarkers for diagnosis and guidance of anti-infection treatment in sepsis?]

To date no biomarker has been identified bringing together perfect sensitivity and specificity to discriminate between inflammation and infections. Since the 1930s new markers of tissue damage and endothelial damage have been identified but which are incapable of identifying infections in every clinical setting to enable initiation of early antibiotic treatment. In this review the most important classical biomarkers and upcoming new PCR-based approaches are addressed. These markers are highlighted with respect to special clinical settings and to control the success of antibiotic treatment. The issue of discrimination between inflammation and infection is not yet solved. Based on one single biomarker it is impossible to decide whether infection is the reason for the patient's worsening condition but the combination of biomarkers or the integration of new biomarkers may be a meaningful supplement. The measurement of different biomarkers of infection or inflammation is part of the routine in critical care and will be essential in the future.

Harmonization status of procalcitonin measurements: what do comparison studies and EQA schemes tell us?

Sepsis represents a global health priority because of its high mortality and morbidity. The key to improving prognosis remains an early diagnosis to initiate appropriate antibiotic treatment. Procalcitonin (PCT) is a recognized biomarker for the early indication of bacterial infections and a valuable tool to guide and individualize antibiotic treatment. To meet the increasing demand for PCT testing, numerous PCT immunoassays have been developed and commercialized, but results have been questioned. Many comparison studies have been carried out to evaluate analytical performance and comparability of results provided by the different commercially available immunoassays for PCT, but results are conflicting. External Quality Assessment Schemes (EQAS) for PCT constitute another way to evaluate results comparability. However, when making this comparison, it must be taken into account that the variety of EQA materials consist of different matrices, the commutability of which has not yet been investigated. The present study gathers results from all published comparison studies and results from 137 EQAS surveys to describe the current state-of-the-art harmonization of PCT results. Comparison studies globally highlight a significant variability of measurement results that nonetheless seem to have a moderate impact on medical decision-making. For their part, EQAS for PCT provides highly discrepant estimates of the interlaboratory CV. Due to differences in commutability of the EQA materials, the results from different peer groups could not be compared. To improve the informative value of the EQA data, the existing limitations such as non-harmonized conditions and suboptimal and/or unknown commutability of the EQA materials have to be overcome. The study highlights the need for commutable reference materials that could be used to properly evaluate result comparability and possibly standardize calibration, if necessary. Such an initiative would further improve the safe use of PCT in clinical routine.

Role of Procalcitonin and C-reactive Protein as Marker of Sepsis in Major Burn Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

AIM: Although absolute values for C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) are well known to predict sepsis, it remains unclear how their diagnostic value in major burn patients as metabolic changes in burn patient mimic signs and symptoms for sepsis. This paper attempts to clarify these points for both of the markers. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search of PubMed, Scopus, DOAJ, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library databases for studies published up to June 1, 2020, that evaluated PCT and/or CRP as a marker for diagnosing sepsis in burn patients was conducted. Review Manager 5.3 was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: A total of 11 literatures were obtained. The combined sensitivity and specificity for PCT as assessed by meta-analysis were 88% and 89%, respectively. The combined sensitivity and specificity of CRP were described as 85.5% and 57.5%, respectively. Meta-analysis cannot be performed for CRP parameters because there are only two literatures that include CRP diagnostic test values. DISCUSSION: PCT and CRP have additional diagnostic value for sepsis in patients with major burns. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of PCT are excellent. Although the difference in sensitivity between PCT and CRP is not very large, there are distinct differences in specificity. A low CRP specificity value will show many “false positives” when CRP is used as a biomarker. CONCLUSION: PCT provides a better diagnostic value than CRP in cases of sepsis in major burn patients. More study on combination of biomarker, clinical presentation, and microbial culture for diagnosing sepsis are needed. Further large-scale research with cohort or case control design should be done.

PCT Kinetics in the First Week Postburn for Sepsis Diagnosis and Death Prognosis-An Accuracy Study

Despite continuous advances in burn care, sepsis is still the main cause of death in burn patients. Procalcitonin (PCT) has been reported as an accurate sepsis biomarker and also as a fair predictor of death. The aim of this study was to assess PCT kinetics in the first week postburn regarding sepsis diagnosis and death prognosis. Sample included 142 patients with ≥15% TBSA, admitted from January 2011 to December 2014 at Coimbra Burns Unit, Portugal. Sepsis diagnosis was done according to American Burn Association criteria. PCT range and median values in the first 7 days after burns were statistically analyzed for its potential for sepsis diagnosis and death prognosis. A subanalysis was done regarding TBSA, sex, age, and inhalation injury. First week PCT range and median were significant for sepsis diagnosis and death prognosis, but the median area under the curve was greater in the last case. TBSA influenced PCT accuracy, which was greater for TBSA less than 40% either for diagnosis or prognosis. Age was inversely related to the accuracy, being better in younger than 40 years in both cases. PCT diagnostic accuracy was not affected by sex, opposing to the prognostic one which is better in women. Inhalation injury had no effect on diagnostic accuracy, but it happens with prognostic accuracy. PCT levels' variation is related to sepsis evolution and outcome. Its median performs better than its range. Always coupled with clinical examination, monitoring PCT levels kinetics may help early sepsis detection, potentially reducing morbidity and mortality, being also useful for death prognosis.

Procalcitonin in special patient populations: Guidance for antimicrobial therapy

PURPOSE

Procalcitonin (PCT) is an endogenous hormone that increases reliably in response to bacterial infection, and measurement of serum PCT levels is recommended to help guide antimicrobial therapy. The utility of PCT assessment in special patient populations (eg, patients with renal dysfunction, cardiac compromise, or immunocompromised states and those undergoing acute care surgery) is less clear. The evidence for PCT-guided antimicrobial therapy in special populations is reviewed.

SUMMARY

In the presence of bacterial infection, nonneuroendocrine PCT is produced in response to bacterial toxins and inflammatory cytokines, resulting in markedly elevated levels of serum PCT. Cytokine induction in nonbacterial inflammatory processes activated by acute care surgery may alter the interpretation of PCT levels. The reliability of PCT assessment has also been questioned in patients with renal dysfunction, cardiac compromise, or immunosuppression. In many special populations, serum PCT may be elevated at baseline and increase further in the presence of infection; thus, higher thresholds for diagnosing infection or de-escalating therapy should be considered, although the optimal threshold to use in a specific population is unclear. Procalcitonin-guided antimicrobial therapy may be recommended in certain clinical situations.

CONCLUSION

Procalcitonin may be a reliable marker of infection even in special populations with baseline elevations in serum PCT. However, due to unclear threshold values and the limited inclusion of special populations in relevant clinical trials, PCT levels should be considered along with clinical criteria, and antibiotics should never be initiated or withheld based on PCT values alone. Procalcitonin measurement may have a role in guiding de-escalation of antibiotic therapy in special populations; however, the clinician should be aware of disease states and concomitant therapies that may affect interpretation of results.

Procalcitonin kinetics early after severe burn injury and its value in diagnosis of sepsis

PURPOSE

To investigate the clinical significance of procalcitonin (PCT) kinetics early after burn and the perioperative period, and to assess its diagnostic performance for sepsis in major burn patients.

METHODS

This retrospective study on major burn patents (≥40% total body surface area) admitted from 2014 to 2019 was conducted in Southwest Hospital, Chongqing, China. A total of 321 patients were included. The kinetics of PCT was analyzed during the 1st week after burn, the perioperative period, and at the onset of clinical suspected sepsis.

RESULTS

Serum PCT concentration rose immediately after burn injury. Factors associated with increased PCT level in the 1st week after burn include greater burn area (>70% TBSA) and lower age (≤14 years). Correlations between PCT kinetics after burn and the risk of early development of sepsis and mortality were observed. At the onset of sepsis, serum PCT increased significantly compared to its basal level in the 48 h before diagnosis. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of PCT concentration and its kinetic changes was 0.788 and 0.826, respectively. PCT kinetics showed better accuracy than PCT concentration in discrimination of Gram-positive sepsis. The optimal diagnostic thresholds for PCT concentration and its kinetics were 1.41 ng/mL, and a 1.34-fold elevation compared to the baseline level.

CONCLUSIONS

PCT kinetics in the early stage after burn was a prognostic factor for sepsis and mortality among major burn patients. Serum PCT levels could be a diagnostic biomarker for sepsis in major burn patients.

Detection of Infection and Sepsis in Burns

Background: Infection is the most frequent complication after severe burns and has a propensity to progress into sepsis then septic shock and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Improving outcomes in acute burn care depends on early detection of infection to allow prompt interventions. Diagnosis of sepsis in severe burns is uniquely challenging because otherwise-typical clinical signs are masked by the hypermetabolic state and systemic inflammation induced by the burn itself. For this reason, burns have historically been excluded from high-impact studies on the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis. Methods: This article provides a comprehensive three-fold review of current findings and guidelines pertinent to the early detection of infection and sepsis in severe burns. Results: First, evidence-based detection of the most common infections encountered in the burn intensive care unit is reviewed. Second, we analyze the evolution of the diagnostic criteria for sepsis and the evidence regarding their utility in severe burns. Last, we examine the development of biomarkers, from procalcitonin to molecular genomics, for the detection of sepsis. Conclusions: Although gold standard methods of early detection of sepsis in burn patients have yet to be identified, improved understanding and appropriate application of the available diagnostic criteria and assays are paramount to providing effective care of patients with severe burns.

Burn Infection and Burn Sepsis

Background: Infection is the most common complication and cause of death in patients suffering burn injuries. These patients are susceptible to infection and burn wound sepsis secondary to the alterations in their physiology. Diagnosis and management of infections rely on physical examination, cultures, and the pathology of the burn wound. Method: We performed an electronic search for articles in the Google Scholar and PubMed databases using the search terms "burn sepsis," "burn infection," and "burn critical care." Results: Multiple factors increase burn patients' risk of invasive infection and sepsis, including underlying factors and co-morbidities, the percent total body surface area of the burn, delays in burn wound excision, and microbial virulence/bacterial count. Organisms causing burn wound infection differ, depending on the time since injury and its location; and diagnosis is multi-factorial. The most common pathogens remain Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas spp. Conclusion: Overall, the recognition of burn sepsis is based on clinical findings. Treatment consists of a combination of local dressings, early burn excision, and systemic antimicrobial therapy. The mortality rate has decreased significantly over the past 10 years, but continued efforts at timely management and infection prevention are essential.

Procalcitonin in hemodialysis patients presenting with fever or chills to the emergency department

We sought to assess the role of procalcitonin in discriminating severe bacterial infections requiring antibiotic treatment from non-bacterial causes of fever or chills in chronic dialysis patients. Chronic hemodialysis patients who were admitted to the emergency room due to fever and/or chills were recruited to the study. The presence or absence of bacterial infection was defined after recruitment conclusion by an infectious disease specialist who was blinded to procalcitonin results. Procalcitonin levels were compared between infected and non-infected patients. Out of 54 patients recruited, 22 (41%) patients eventually diagnosed with infection. Mean (± SD) procalcitonin values were 4.3 (± 5.5) ng/ml among cases, 1.0 (± 2.0) ng/ml among controls with no infection (p = 0.02). A cutoff PCT value of 1 ng/ml or higher had 77% sensitivity and 59% specificity for the diagnosis of severe infection. Procalcitonin cannot usefully identify hemodialysis patient with bacterial infection.

Procalcitonin: Between evidence and critical issues

Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated response of the host to infection. It represents one of the major health care problems worldwide. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of sepsis is challenging for many reasons, including a lack of a sufficiently sensitive and specific diagnostic test. When procalcitonin (PCT) was discovered, it was thought that it could become the best test for identifying patients with sepsis. From the evidence sources in the available literature, it is now clear that the power of PCT in differentiating infectious from non-infectious forms of systemic inflammatory response syndrome in adults, and in stratifying morbidity and mortality risk, is limited. Nevertheless, PCT determination can be a useful tool for diagnosing late-onset neonatal sepsis, bacterial meningitis and other forms of organ-related bacterial infections and, above all, it can be used for guiding antibiotic stewardship in critical patients. The real impact of this application of PCT testing, however, still needs to be clearly defined. Laboratories should offer unrestricted PCT testing only to intensive care units (as an aid in decision for continuing or stopping antibiotics) and pediatric wards. For all other clinical wards, the laboratory should guide PCT requests and give them support towards the most appropriate approach to testing.

Valuable prognostic indicators for severe burn sepsis with inhalation lesion: age, platelet count, and procalcitonin

Background

Severe burn sepsis can lead to high mortality. We explored the valuable prognostic indicators for severe burn sepsis with inhalation lesion.

Methods

Thirty-eight severe burn patients with sepsis who were admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from August 2014 to December 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 22 patients were assigned to the death group and 16 patients to the survival group. Their general information, vital signs, and blood index including serum procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels at admission, diagnosis of sepsis, and 1-week post-diagnosis of sepsis were compared.

Results

Patients in the death group were older and had lower platelet count (PLT) at diagnosis of sepsis and 1-week post-diagnosis as well as higher PCT level at 1-week post-diagnosis than patients in the survival group (all p < 0.05). According to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, the above four indicators could be used to predict the prognosis, and the area under the curve (AUC) of PLT at diagnosis and 1-week post-diagnosis was larger (0.888 and 0.911), and PLT at diagnosis had the highest sensitivity and specificity (0.842 and 0.937). In addition, these patients were divided into two groups by the optimal cutoff age of 38 years. According to multivariate logistic regression analysis and COX regression analysis, only age group and PLT at diagnosis were statistically significant (all p < 0.05). The risk of death in the older group was 28 times higher than that in the younger group, and the risk of death increased by 3% for each unit reduction in PLT at diagnosis. Moreover, age group was an independent factor affecting the patients’ survival (β = − 1.370, p = 0.026). Considering the survival time after sepsis, the mortality risk was lower for patients in the older group than for patients in the younger group (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.254, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.076–0.851).

Conclusion

Age, PLT at diagnosis of sepsis, and 1-week post-diagnosis as well as PCT level at 1-week post-diagnosis are indicators for the evaluation of prognosis of severe burn sepsis with inhalation lesion. Among them, PLT at diagnosis has the greatest prognostic value. In addition, age can predict the patients’ mortality and survival time after sepsis.

Procalcitonin kinetics after burn injury and burn surgery in septic and non-septic patients - a retrospective observational study

BACKGROUND

Early sepsis diagnosis is crucial for the correct management of burn patients, and it clearly influences outcomes. The systemic inflammatory response triggered by burns mimics sepsis presentation and complicates early sepsis diagnosis. Biomarkers were advocated to aid the diagnosis of early sepsis. Serum procalcitonin (PCT) exhibits fair accuracy and good correlation with sepsis severity, being used in diverse clinical settings. However, few studies have evaluated perioperative changes in PCT levels in burn patients. The present study evaluated PCT kinetics during the first days after burn injury and subsequent surgical interventions to assess PCT utility in distinguishing septic from non-septic inflammatory responses.

METHODS

This study was a retrospective observational study of all burn patients admitted to the Coimbra Burns Unit (Portugal) between January 2011 and December 2014 who presented with a total burn surface area ≥ 15% and who underwent subsequent surgery. PCT kinetics were investigated a) during the first five days after burn injury and b) preoperatively during the five days after surgery in three subsets of patients, including those with no preoperative and no postoperative sepsis (NN), no preoperative but postoperative sepsis (NS), and preoperative and postoperative sepsis (SS). A total of 145 patients met the selection criteria and were included in the analysis.

RESULTS

PCT levels in the first five days after burn injury were significantly higher in patients who developed at least one sepsis episode (n = 85) compared with patients who did not develop sepsis (n = 60). PCT values > 1.00 ng/mL were clearly associated with sepsis. Study participants (n = 145) underwent a total of 283 surgical interventions. Their distribution by preoperative/postoperative sepsis status was 142 (50.2%) in NN; 62 (21.9%) in NS; and 79 (27.9%) in SS. PCT values exhibited a parallel course in the three groups that peaked on the second postoperative day and returned to preoperative levels on the third day or later. The lowest PCT values were found in NN, and the highest values were observed in SS; the NS values were intermediate.

CONCLUSIONS

PCT kinetics coupled with a clinical examination may be helpful for sepsis diagnosis during the first days after burn injury and burn surgery.

MR-proADM: A New Biomarker for Early Diagnosis of Sepsis in Burned Patients

Mid regional pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) has been used as a marker of sepsis, but its dynamics and role in a burn injury setting has not been tested. In a prospective observational study, we included 42 consecutive patients with >15% TBSA. Daily blood specimens collected over the initial 20 days of treatment were submitted for laboratory analysis of MR-proADM and procalcitonin (PCT) via immunoluminometric sandwich assay (Kryptor, BRAHMS, Berlin, Germany). In patients with an absence of sepsis, an initial increase in MR-proADM and PCT levels was noted post-burn injury, peaking on the second day postadmission and thereafter demonstrated a continued decline in MR-proADM and PCT levels. In those patients who went on to develop sepsis (n = 27, 64.3%), the levels of MR-proADM and PCT were significantly higher (P < .001) on days categorized as septic, than on days categorized as nonseptic. The increase in PCT levels was noted on the first day to be categorized as septic. In contrast, the MR-proADM levels demonstrated an increase one day earlier. The optimal relationship between the specificity and sensitivity of MR-proADM and PCT for the detection of sepsis was an increase of 31% and at least 0.015 nmol/L (area under curve 0.76) or of >39% and at least 0.15 µg/L (area under the curve 0.83), respectively. Burn injury is associated with increased levels of MR-proADM. Subsequent increases may be considered as diagnostic of sepsis onset. In this context, PCT displayed higher specificity and sensitivity, while MR-proADM may be more suitable for the early recognition of sepsis (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01055587).

Checking procalcitonin suitability for prognosis and antimicrobial therapy monitoring in burn patients

Background

Due to greater infection susceptibility, sepsis is the main cause of death in burn patients. Quick diagnosis and patient stratification, early and appropriated antimicrobial therapy, and focus control are crucial for patients' survival. On the other hand, superfluous extension of therapy is associated with adverse events and arousal of microbial resistance. The use of biomarkers, necessarily coupled with close clinical examination, may predict outcomes, stratifying patients who need more intensive care, and monitor the efficacy of antimicrobial therapy, allowing faster de-escalation or stop, reducing the development of resistance and possibly the financial burden, without increasing mortality. The aim of this work is to check the suitability of procalcitonin (PCT) to fulfill these goals in a large sample of septic burn patients.

Methods

One hundred and one patients, with 15% or more of total body surface area (TBSA) burned, admitted from January 2011 to December 2014 at Coimbra Burns Unit (CBU), in Portugal were included in the sample. All patients had a diagnosis of sepsis, according to the American Burn Association (ABA) criteria. The sample was factored by survival (68 survivors and 33 non-survivors). The maximum value of PCT in each day was used for statistical analysis. Data were summarized by location measures (mean, median, minimum, maximum, quartiles) and dispersion measures (standard error and range measures). Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS© 23.0 IBM© for Windows©.

Results

There were statistically significant differences between PCT levels of patients from the survivor and non-survivor groups during the first and the last weeks of hospitalization as well as during the first week after sepsis suspicion, being slightly higher during this period. During the first 7 days of antimicrobial therapy, PCT was always higher in the non-survivor, still without reaching statistical significance, but when the analysis was extended till the 15th day, PCT increased significantly, rapidly, and steadily, denouncing therapy failure.

Conclusion

Despite being not an ideal biomarker, PCT proved to have good prognostic power in septic burn patients, paralleling the evolution of the infectious process and reflecting the efficacy of antimicrobial therapy, and the inclusion of its serial dosing may be advised to reinforce antimicrobial stewardship programs at burn units; meanwhile, more accurate approaches are not available.

Ubiquitin Urine Levels in Burn Patients

The objective of this study was to determine whether urine ubiquitin levels are elevated after burns and to assess whether urine ubiquitin could be useful as a noninvasive biomarker for burn patients. Forty burn patients (%TBSA: 20 ± 22; modified Baux scores: 73 ± 26) were included (control: 11 volunteers). Urine was collected in 2-hour intervals for 72 hours, followed by 12-hour intervals until discharge from the intensive care unit. Ubiquitin concentrations were analyzed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot. Total protein was determined with a Bradford assay. Patient characteristics and clinical parameters were documented. Urine ubiquitin concentrations, renal ubiquitin excretion, and excretion rates were correlated with patient characteristics and outcomes. Initial urine ubiquitin concentrations were 362 ± 575 ng/ml in patients and 14 ± 18 ng/ml in volunteers (P < .01). Renal ubiquitin excretion on day 1 was 292.6 ± 510.8 μg/24 hr and 21 ± 27 μg/24 hr in volunteers (P < .01). Initial ubiquitin concentrations correlated with modified Baux scores (r = .46; P = .02). Ubiquitin levels peaked at day 6 postburn, whereas total protein concentrations and serum creatinine levels remained within the normal range. Total renal ubiquitin excretion and excretion rates were higher in patients with %TBSA ≥20 than with %TBSA <20, in patients who developed sepsis/multiple organ failure than in patients without these complications and in nonsurvivors vs survivors. These data suggest that ubiquitin urine levels are significantly increased after burns. Renal ubiquitin excretion and/or excretion rates are associated with %TBSA, sepsis/multiple organ failure, and mortality. Although these findings may explain previous correlations between systemic ubiquitin levels and outcomes after burns, the large variability of ubiquitin urine levels suggests that urine ubiquitin will not be useful as a noninvasive disease biomarker.

Poor methodological quality and reporting standards of systematic reviews in burn care management

The methodological and reporting quality of burn-specific systematic reviews has not been established. The aim of this study was to evaluate the methodological quality of systematic reviews in burn care management. Computerised searches were performed in Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE and The Cochrane Library through to February 2016 for systematic reviews relevant to burn care using medical subject and free-text terms such as 'burn', 'systematic review' or 'meta-analysis'. Additional studies were identified by hand-searching five discipline-specific journals. Two authors independently screened papers, extracted and evaluated methodological quality using the 11-item A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) tool and reporting quality using the 27-item Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist. Characteristics of systematic reviews associated with methodological and reporting quality were identified. Descriptive statistics and linear regression identified features associated with improved methodological quality. A total of 60 systematic reviews met the inclusion criteria. Six of the 11 AMSTAR items reporting on 'a priori' design, duplicate study selection, grey literature, included/excluded studies, publication bias and conflict of interest were reported in less than 50% of the systematic reviews. Of the 27 items listed for PRISMA, 13 items reporting on introduction, methods, results and the discussion were addressed in less than 50% of systematic reviews. Multivariable analyses showed that systematic reviews associated with higher methodological or reporting quality incorporated a meta-analysis (AMSTAR regression coefficient 2.1; 95% CI: 1.1, 3.1; PRISMA regression coefficient 6·3; 95% CI: 3·8, 8·7) were published in the Cochrane library (AMSTAR regression coefficient 2·9; 95% CI: 1·6, 4·2; PRISMA regression coefficient 6·1; 95% CI: 3·1, 9·2) and included a randomised control trial (AMSTAR regression coefficient 1·4; 95%CI: 0·4, 2·4; PRISMA regression coefficient 3·4; 95% CI: 0·9, 5·8). The methodological and reporting quality of systematic reviews in burn care requires further improvement with stricter adherence by authors to the PRISMA checklist and AMSTAR tool.

Continuous hemoadsorption with a cytokine adsorber during sepsis - a review of the literature

Sepsis is a well-recognized healthcare issue worldwide, ultimately resulting in significant mortality, morbidity and resource utilization during and after critical illness. In its most severe form, sepsis causes multi-organ dysfunction that produces a state of critical illness characterized by severe immune dysfunction and catabolism. Sepsis induces the activation of complement factor via 3 pathways and the release of inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), resulting in a systemic inflammatory response. The inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide release induced by sepsis decrease systemic vascular resistance, resulting in profound hypotension. The combination of hypotension and microvascular occlusion results in tissue ischemia and ultimately leads to multiple organ failure. Several clinical and experimental studies have reported that treatment using adsorption of cytokines is beneficial during endotoxemia and sepsis. This review article analyzes the efficacy of CytoSorb® adsorber in reducing the inflammatory response during sepsis. The CytoSorb® adsorber is known to have excellent adsorption rates for inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α. Studies have demonstrated that treatment with cytokine adsorbing columns has beneficial effects on the survival rate and inflammatory responses in animal septic models. Additionally, several cases have been reported in which treatment with cytokine adsorbing columns is very effective in hemodynamic stabilization and in preventing organ failure in critically ill patients. Although further investigations and clinical trials are needed, treatment with cytokine adsorbing columns may play an important role in the treatment of sepsis in the near future.

Adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen therapy in severe burns: Experience in Taiwan Formosa Water Park dust explosion disaster

BACKGROUND

Despite major advances in therapeutic strategies for the management of patients with severe burns, significant morbidity and mortality is observed. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) increases the supply of oxygen to burn areas. The aim of this study was to determine whether HBOT is effective in the treatment of major thermal burns.

METHODS

On June 27, 2015 in New Taipei, Taiwan, a mass casualty disaster occurred as fire erupted over a large crowd, injuring 499 people. Fifty-three victims (20 women and 33 men) were admitted to Tri-Service General Hospital. Thirty-eight patients underwent adjunctive HBOT (HBOT group), and 15 patients received routine burn therapy (control group). Serum procalcitonin (PCT) level, a sepsis biomarker, was measured until it reached normal levels (<0.5μg/L). The records of all patients from June 2015 to March 2016 were analyzed retrospectively. Outcome measures that were compared between the groups included the use of tracheostomy and hemodialysis, total body surface area (TBSA) and the number of skin graft operations, length of hospital stay, infection status, and mortality.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 22.4 years, and the mean TBSA was 43%. All the patients survived and were discharged without requiring limb amputation or being permanently disabled. Patient characteristics did not differ significantly between the groups. PCT levels returned to normal significantly faster (p=0.007) in the HBOT group.

CONCLUSION

Multidisciplinary burn care combined with adjunctive HBOT improves sepsis control compared with standard treatment without HBOT. Prospective studies are required to define the role of HBOT in extensive burns.

The Use of Procalcitonin (PCT) for Diagnosis of Sepsis in Burn Patients: A Meta-Analysis

The continuous development of resuscitation techniques and intensive care reduced the mortality rate induced by the initial shock in burn patients and, currently, infections (especially sepsis) are the main causes of mortality of these patients. The misuse of antimicrobial agents is strongly related to antimicrobial and adverse patient outcomes, development of microbial resistance and increased healthcare-related costs. To overcome these risks, antimicrobial stewardship is mandatory and biomarkers are useful to avoid unnecessary medical prescription, to monitor antimicrobial therapy and to support the decision of its stop. Among a large array of laboratory tests, procalcitonin (PCT) emerged as the leading biomarker to accurately and time-effectively indicate the presence of systemic infection. In the presence of systemic infection, PCT blood levels undergo a sudden and dramatic increase, following the course of the infection, and quickly subside after the control of the septic process. This work is a meta-analysis on PCT performance as a biomarker for sepsis. This meta–analysis showed that overall pooled area under the curve (AUC) is 0.83 (95% CI = 0.76 to 0.90); the estimated cut-off is 1.47 ng/mL. The overall sepsis effect in PCT levels is significant and strong (Cohen's d is 2.1 and 95% CI = 1.1 to 3.2). This meta–analysis showed PCT may be considered as a biomarker with a strong diagnostic ability to discriminate between the septic from the non-septic burn patients. Thus, this work encourages the determination of PCT levels in clinical practice for the management of these patients, in order to timely identify the susceptibility to sepsis and to initiate the antimicrobial therapy, improving the patients’ outcomes.

The clinical significance of the MIF homolog d-dopachrome tautomerase (MIF-2) and its circulating receptor (sCD74) in burn

BACKGROUND

We reported earlier that the cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a potential biomarker in burn injury. In the present study, we investigated the clinical significance of the newly discovered MIF family member d-dopachrome tautomerase (DDT or MIF-2) and their common soluble receptor CD74 (sCD74) in severely burned patients.

METHODS

DDT and sCD74 serum levels were measured 20 severely burned patients and 20 controls. Serum levels were correlated to the abbreviated burn severity index (ABSI) and total body surface area (TBSA) followed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Data were supported by gene expression dataset analysis of 31 burn patients and 28 healthy controls.

RESULTS

CD74 and DDT were increased in burn patients. Furthermore, CD74 and DDT also were elevated in septic non-survivors when compared to survivors. Serum levels of DDT showed a positive correlation with the ABSI and TBSA in the early stage after burn, and the predictive character of DDT was strongest at 24h. Serum levels of CD74 only correlated with the ABSI 5 days after injury.

CONCLUSIONS

DDT may assist in the monitoring of clinical outcome and prediction of sepsis during the early post-burn period. Soluble CD74 and MIF, by contrast, have limited value as an early predictor of death due to their delayed response to burn.

The utility of C-reactive protein and procalcitonin for sepsis diagnosis in critically burned patients: A preliminary study

Objective

To assess the utility of C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) as biomarkers of infection in patients with severe burn injury.

Methods

The present study included severe burn injury patients consecutively admitted to the Virgen del Rocío University Hospital (Andalucia, Spain) intensive care unit during a 12-month period. The variables of interest were: age, sex, mechanism of injury, percentage of burned body surface area, the Abbreviated Burn Severity Index (ABSI) and the absence/presence of sepsis. The authors analyzed serum levels of CRP and PCT at admission and every 48 h thereafter until intensive care unit discharge or death. Each determination was considered to be a sample or unit of analysis.

Results

A total of 157 determinations were analyzed from 17 severe burn injury patients. Fifty-four samples were considered to be septic, 25 of which corresponded to the first day of a new onset of sepsis. The mean duration of these symptoms was four days (interquartile range two to five days). Significant differences were found in the distributions of CRP and PCT values between sepsis and no-sepsis samples. Analysis of the changes in these biomarkers over time showed that PCT increase (ΔPCT) differentiated these diagnoses, whereas CRP increase (ΔCRP) did not. ROC curve analysis revealed that ΔPCT could predict positive sepsis samples (area under the curve 0.75 [95% CI 0.58 to 0.90]; P=0.003).

Conclusion

These preliminary results showed that PCT had a better discriminatory capacity than CRP for identifying infectious processes in patients with severe burn injury. A larger sample size would be needed to confirm these results.

The role of serum procalcitonin in the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Clinically, it is often difficult to differentiate between bacterial and viral aetiologies in adults with suspected meningitis. Several studies have demonstrated the potential use of serum procalcitonin (PCT) in making this differentiation. The aim was to pool these studies into a meta-analysis to determine the diagnostic accuracy of PCT.

METHODS

Major electronic databases were searched for articles studying the use of serum PCT in the differentiation of bacterial and viral meningitis in adult patients. No date or language restrictions were applied. Data analysis was performed using Meta-DiSc 1.4 and MIX 2.0.

RESULTS

Nine studies (n=725 patients) were included in the meta-analysis. Serum PCT was found to be a highly accurate test for diagnosing meningitis. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) for PCT were 0.90 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.84-0.94), 0.98 (95% CI 0.97-0.99), 27.3 (95% CI 8.2-91.1), 0.13 (95% CI 0.07-0.26), and 287.0 (95% CI 58.5-1409.0), respectively. PCT was found to be far superior to C-reactive protein, which had a pooled DOR of only 22.1 (95% CI 12.7-38.3).

CONCLUSIONS

Serum PCT is a highly accurate diagnostic test that can be used by physicians for rapid differentiation between bacterial and viral causes of meningitis in adults.

Procalcitonin

Procalcitonin (PCT) is the 116 amino acid precursor of the hormone calcitonin, produced by the C cells of the thyroid. Its synthesis is upregulated in bacterial infection and downregulated by viral infection. Consequently, with the increasing development of antibiotic resistance, interest has focused on the ability of this marker to not only diagnose infection but to tailor antibiotic treatment and help reduce the development of antibiotic resistance. The value of PCT depends on the specific clinical situation and pretest probability of disease. This article discusses the role of PCT in these different situations, namely primary care, the emergency department and the intensive care unit. The true cost effectiveness of this test remains difficult to prove as evidence for the potential impact of using PCT on slowing the development of bacterial resistance remains largely circumstantial.