Measuring both procalcitonin and C-reactive protein for a diagnosis of sepsis in critically ill patients

Severe Acute Bronchial Asthma with Sepsis: Determining the Status of Biomarkers in the Diagnosis of the Disease

Bronchial asthma is a widely prevalent illness that substantially impacts an individual's health standard worldwide and has a significant financial impact on society. Global guidelines for managing asthma do not recommend the routine use of antimicrobial agents because most episodes of the condition are linked to viral respiratory tract infections (RTI), and bacterial infection appears to have an insignificant impact. However, antibiotics are recommended when there is a high-grade fever, a consolidation on the chest radiograph, and purulent sputum that contains polymorphs rather than eosinophils. Managing acute bronchial asthma with sepsis, specifically the choice of whether or not to initiate antimicrobial treatment, remains difficult since there are currently no practical clinical or radiological markers that allow for a simple distinction between viral and bacterial infections. Researchers found that serum procalcitonin (PCT) values can efficiently and safely minimize antibiotic usage in individuals with severe acute asthma. Again, the clinical manifestations of acute asthma and bacterial RTI are similar, as are frequently used test values, like C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell (WBC) count, making it harder for doctors to differentiate between viral and bacterial infections in asthma patients. The role and scope of each biomarker have not been precisely defined yet, although they have all been established to aid healthcare professionals in their diagnostics and treatment strategies.

Sex differences in clinical presentation and mortality in emergency department patients with sepsis

BACKGROUND

There is growing awareness that sex differences are associated with different patient outcomes in a variety of diseases. Studies investigating the effect of patient sex on sepsis-related mortality remain inconclusive and mainly focus on patients with severe sepsis and septic shock in the intensive care unit. We therefore investigated the association between patient sex and both clinical presentation and 30-day mortality in patients with the whole spectrum of sepsis severity presenting to the emergency department (ED) who were admitted to the hospital.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In our multi-centre cohort study, we retrospectively investigated adult medical patients with sepsis in the ED. Multivariable analysis was used to evaluate the association between patient sex and all-cause 30-day mortality.

RESULTS

Of 2065 patients included, 47.6% were female. Female patients had significantly less comorbidities, lower Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score and abbreviated Mortality Emergency Department Sepsis score, and presented less frequently with thrombocytopenia and fever, compared to males. For both sexes, respiratory tract infections were predominant while female patients more often had urinary tract infections. Females showed lower 30-day mortality (10.1% vs. 13.6%; p = .016), and in-hospital mortality (8.0% vs. 11.1%; p = .02) compared to males. However, a multivariable logistic regression model showed that patient sex was not an independent predictor of 30-day mortality (OR 0.90; 95% CI 0.67-1.22; p = .51).

CONCLUSIONS

Females with sepsis presenting to the ED had fewer comorbidities, lower disease severity, less often thrombocytopenia and fever and were more likely to have a urinary tract infection. Females had a lower in-hospital and 30-day mortality compared to males, but sex was not an independent predictor of 30-day mortality. The lower mortality in female patients may be explained by differences in comorbidity and clinical presentation compared to male patients.KEY MESSAGESOnly limited data exist on sex differences in sepsis patients presenting to the emergency department with the whole spectrum of sepsis severity.Female sepsis patients had a lower incidence of comorbidities, less disease severity and a different source of infection, which explains the lower 30-day mortality we found in female patients compared to male patients.We found that sex was not an independent predictor of 30-day mortality; however, the study was probably underpowered to evaluate this outcome definitively.

Particularities of diagnosis in an elderly patient with neglected peritonitis: a case report

Acute peritonitis accounts for 1% of inpatient surgical emergencies and is the second leading cause of sepsis in patients in intensive care departments. Diagnosis through laboratory analysis in bacterial peritonitis focuses mainly on the biomarkers, procalcitonin and C-reactive protein. A 73-year-old male patient presented with meteorism, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and hypotension. Laboratory investigations showed very high procalcitonin and C-reactive protein values, and abdominal radiography revealed paraumbilical hydroaerial levels, which suggested septic shock of intra-abdominal origin. Emergency laparotomy was performed, which revealed agglutinated intestinal loops in the right iliac fossa with false membranes, purulent fluid, overdistended jejunum and ileum with an occlusive appearance, acute gangrenous appendicitis with perforation, and suppurative omentitis. The intraoperative diagnosis was acute neglected peritonitis in the occlusive phase owing to acute gangrenous appendicitis with perforation and suppurative omentitis. Laboratory analysis in conjunction with imaging provides important information in the early diagnosis of infectious pathology in elderly patients, even if these methods do not accurately identify the cause. The combination of procalcitonin and C-reactive protein biomarker levels successfully contributed to the diagnosis in this case. Notably, the patient’s white blood cell counts were inconsistent with the severity of the infection.

Zinc Supplementation in Preterm Neonates with Late-Onset Sepsis: Is It Beneficial?

OBJECTIVE

Neonatal sepsis (NS) is a serious neonatal disease. The aim of this study was to detect the role of zinc (Zn) supplementation in preterm neonates with late-onset sepsis (LOS).

STUDY DESIGN

A prospective randomized clinical trial study which was done at Tanta University Hospital from August 2016 to March 2018 on 180 preterm neonates with LOS. The studied neonates were divided into two groups: group 1 (90 neonates), which received Zn and antibiotics, and group 2 (90 neonates), which received antibiotics and placebo. In group 1, the neonates received 1.4 mg elemental Zn/kg/d orally for 10 days. Sepsis score, C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT) were done for both groups.

RESULTS

As regards sepsis score, it showed that before beginning the treatment, there were 85 and 84 neonates who had high probable sepsis (HPS) in intervention and control groups, respectively, and this revealed nonstatistically significant difference (non-SSD) between both groups (p-value is 0.756) and after 10 days of treatment, there were 1 and 4 neonates who had HPS in intervention and control group, respectively, and this revealed SSD between both groups (p-value is 0.045*). As regards CRP and PCT, the results showed that before beginning the treatment, the mean ± standard deviation (SD) of CRP and PCT were 39.4 ± 10.1 mg/L and 5.2 + 1.8 ng/mL, respectively, in intervention group, while it was 39.6 + 9.9 mg/L and 5.1 + 1.9 ng/mL, respectively, in control group and this revealed non-SSD between both groups (p-value is 0.893 and 0.717, respectively) and after 10 days of treatment, the mean ± SD of CRP and PCT were 5.3 ± 1.8 mg/L and 0.39 ± 0.13 ng/mL, respectively, in intervention group and 6.1 + 2 mg/L and 0.61 + 0.22 ng/mL, respectively, in control group and this revealed SSD between both groups (p-value is 0.008* and 0.044*, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Zn supplementation in preterm neonates with LOS is beneficial in improving the clinical and laboratory finding.

RECOMMENDATION

Zn supplementation for preterm neonates with LOS.

KEY POINTS

· NS is a serious neonatal disease.. · Preterm neonates are more liable to infections.. · Zn supplementation in preterm neonates with LOS is beneficial in improving the condition..

The Diagnostic Value of Plasma miRNA-497, cTnI, FABP3 and GPBB in Pediatric Sepsis Complicated with Myocardial Injury

Objective

To investigate the diagnostic value of plasma miRNA-497, cardiac troponin I (cTnI), fatty acid binding protein 3 (FABP3), glycogen phosphorylase isoenzyme BB (GPBB) in pediatric sepsis complicated with myocardial injury.

Methods

From August 2018 to February 2020, 82 children with sepsis admitted to our hospital and 50 health children who came for physical examination (defined as control group) were enrolled in this study. Children with sepsis and myocardial injury were enrolled in the combined group (n=35), and those without myocardial injury were enrolled in the sepsis group (n=47). General data of three groups were collected, and the levels of miRNA-497, FABP3, GPBB, creatine kinase isoenzyme MB (CK-MB), procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), cTnI and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were detected and the cardiac function was measured. The diagnostic value of plasma miRNA-497, cTnI, FABP3 and GPBB in pediatric sepsis complicated with myocardial injury was analyzed.

Results

The infection site of the combined group was not significantly different from that of the sepsis group. The levels of miRNA-497, FABP3, GPBB, CK-MB, PCT, CRP, cTnI, NT-proBNP in the combined group were all higher than those in the sepsis group and the control group (P<0.05), and the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in the combined group was significantly lower than that in the other two group (P<0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) of the combination of miRNA-497, FABP3, GPBB, and cTnI in the diagnosis of sepsis complicated with myocardial injury was significantly higher than that of CK-MB, PCT, CRP, NT-proBNP alone (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference when compared with miRNA-497, FABP3, GPBB and cTnI alone (P>0.05). When the optimal thresholds of miRNA-497, FABP3, GPBB, and cTnI were set to 2.03, 6.23ng/mL, 4.01ng/mL, 1.23ng/mL, respectively, the sensitivity was 95.65%, 88.89%, 82.61%, 87.50%, respectively; the specificity was 83.33%, 94.12%, 83.33%, 90.91%, respectively; and the accuracy was 91.43%, 91.43%, 82.86%, 88.57%, respectively. Pearson correlation analysis indicating that miRNA-497 was positively correlated with the levels of FABP3, GPBB, and cTnI in the combined group (r=0.821, 0.621, 0.782, P<0.05).

Conclusion

Plasma miRNA-497, cTnI, FABP3, and GPBB levels were increased in pediatric sepsis complicated with myocardial injury, and their combination had high diagnostic value, which was of great clinical significance for early diagnosis and early treatment of pediatric sepsis complicated with myocardial injury.

Vibrational spectroscopic analysis of blood for diagnosis of infections and sepsis: a review of requirements for a rapid diagnostic test

Infections and sepsis represent a growing global burden. There is a widespread clinical need for a rapid, high-throughput and sensitive technique for the diagnosis of infections and detection of invading pathogens and the presence of sepsis. Current diagnostic methods primarily consist of laboratory-based haematology, biochemistry and microbiology that are time consuming, labour- and resource-intensive, and prone to both false positive and false negative results. Current methods are insufficient for the increasing demands on healthcare systems, causing delays in diagnosis and initiation of treatment, due to the intrinsic time delay in sample preparation, measurement, and analysis. Vibrational spectroscopic techniques can overcome these limitations by providing a rapid, label-free and low-cost method for blood analysis, with limited sample preparation required, potentially revolutionising clinical diagnostics by producing actionable results that enable early diagnosis, leading to improved patient outcomes. This review will discuss the challenges associated with the diagnosis of infections and sepsis, primarily within the UK healthcare system. We will consider the clinical potential of spectroscopic point-of-care technologies to enable blood analysis in the primary-care setting.

Immature platelet indices alongside procalcitonin for sensitive and specific identification of bacteremia in the intensive care unit

Hematological markers that can be rapidly analyzed and regularly monitored during a patient's stay on ICU, and that can identify bacterial causes of sepsis are being extensively sought. The significance of platelets in early immunological responses provides justification for assessing their usefulness in the identification of bacteremia amongst sepsis patients. In this preliminary study, the full blood count, including the platelet count by impedance (PLT-I), Immature Platelet Fraction (IPF%) and absolute immature platelet count (AIPC), were analyzed in eighty-two sepsis patients daily over the first 5 days stay on ICU. C-Reactive Protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and lactate were also analyzed daily. Blood cultures confirmed or excluded the presence of bacteremia. PCT provided the earliest indicator of bacteremia, with significant differences between the two cohorts on day 1. The change in IPF% and AIPC from day 1 to day 2 (Δ IPF% and Δ AIPC) provided the most accurate indication; A combination of Δ IPF% and day 2 PCT, provided a positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 100% and 96.10%, respectively. These data provide strong justification for larger multi-center validation studies to confirm the usefulness of these platelet indices during the assessment of sepsis on the ICU.

Risk factors for bloodstream infections in gynecological cancer

OBJECTIVE

Infections are a threat to frail patients as they have a higher risk of developing serious complications from bloodstream pathogens. The aim of this study was to determine which factors can predict or diagnose bloodstream infections in patients with an underlying gynecologic malignancy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between July 2016 and December 2017, 68 patients visiting the emergency room with an underlying gynecologic malignancy were evaluated. Variables concerning underlying disease, invasive procedures, and laboratory and clinical parameters were analyzed. Patients were divided into three groups based on their blood and urine specimens (positive blood specimens, positive urine specimens, and no positive specimens; patients who had both positive blood and urine specimens were included in the group of positive blood specimens). Risk factors for surgical site infections, recent (<30 days) surgery, and chemotherapy were studied separately.

RESULTS

68 patients were included in the analysis. Mean age was 55.6 years (standard deviation 14.1). 44% of patients had ovarian cancer, 35% cervical cancer, 12% endometrial cancer, and 9% had other cancer types. In total, 96% of all patients had undergone surgery. Patients who had been treated with chemotherapy were at a higher risk of developing bloodstream infection (P=0.04; odds ratio (OR)=7.9). C reactive protein, bilirubin, and oxygen saturation (SO₂) were significantly different between patients with an underlying infection and those who had none. Only C reactive protein maintained its significance in a linear model, with a cut-off of 180 mg/L (linear regression, P=0.03; OR=4).

CONCLUSIONS

Chemotherapy is a risk factor for the development of bloodstream infections in patients with an underlying gynecologic malignancy; C reactive protein could be a useful tool in making this diagnosis.

Immature granulocytes as a sepsis predictor in patients undergoing cardiac surgery

OBJECTIVES

Usefulness of immature granulocyte percentage (IG%) to discriminate between postoperative non-infective systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and sepsis was tested in cardiac surgical patients.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of 124 patients who developed non-infective SIRS and sepsis after elective cardiac surgery was performed. Predictive ability of IG% to predict sepsis was compared to procalcitonin (PCT), white blood cell count, temperature and different biomarker combinations using receiver operating characteristic and logistic regression analysis. The optimal cut-off points, diagnosis sensitivity and specificity were calculated.

RESULTS

There were 44 patients diagnosed with sepsis and 80 patients with non-infective SIRS. In receiver operating characteristic analysis, area under the curve was higher for IG% (0.71) and PCT (0.72) compared to white blood cell count (0.62) and temperature (0.58). The best cut-off value for IG% was 1.45% (sensitivity 70.5%, specificity 60%) and 1.43 µg/l for PCT (sensitivity 65.9%, specificity 75%). The combination of IG% and PCT provided the best sepsis prediction (area under the curve of 0.8, sensitivity 63.6% and specificity 88.8%).

CONCLUSIONS

In cardiac surgical patients, IG% is a helpful marker with the moderate ability to discriminate between sepsis and non-infective SIRS, comparable to serum PCT. A combination of these parameters increased the test's overall predictive ability by improving its specificity.

Validity of biomarkers in screening for neonatal sepsis - A single center -hospital based study

BACKGROUND

The diagnosis of neonatal sepsis still considered to be a challenge for both clinicians and the laboratory due to the non-specific clinical presentations. The present study aimed to compare and assess the diagnostic & prognostic values of C-reactive protein (CRP), high sensitivity CRP (hsCRP), presepsin, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and procalcitonin (PCT) in neonatal sepsis separately and in combination.

METHODS

This hospital-based cross-sectional study has been conducted on 168 neonates recruited from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Qena University Hospitals, Upper Egypt. Measurements of CRP using latex agglutination test, hsCRP, presepsin, IL6 and PCT assays using commercially available ELISA assay kits were done to all included neonates.

RESULTS

There were significantly higher serum levels of CRP among late onset versus early onset sepsis group with significantly higher serum levels of hsCRP and presepsin among early onset compared with the late onset sepsis group (p < 0.05 for all). There were significantly higher hsCRP, presepsin and PCT serum levels in proven versus probable sepsis group (p < 0.05 for all). Significantly higher serum levels of presepsin and PCT were noted among survivors versus non survivors sepsis group (p < 0.05 for all). The cutoff value of the serum level of CRP >6 mg/dl showed lower sensitivity and specificity than that of hsCRP at cutoff >140 ng/ml in diagnosing neonatal sepsis. The cutoff value of presepsin >200 ng/ml showed equal sensitivity and specificity to IL-6 at cutoff >22 pg/ml. The cutoff value of PCT at > 389 pg/ml showed sensitivity and specificity approximate to that of hsCRP.

CONCLUSIONS

CRP could be a helpful prognostic marker in late onset neonatal sepsis. hsCRP and PCT have higher diagnostic accuracy in neonatal sepsis in comparison to other studied markers. Both IL-6 and presepsin have equal diagnostic utility in neonatal sepsis, but presepsin could be helpful diagnostic marker in early onset neonatal sepsis.

Using Procalcitonin in Septic Shock to Guide Antibacterial Therapy

Over the last decade, the biomarkers procalcitonin and C-reactive protein have gained interest in sepsis research. Procalcitonin is a unique biomarker that is specific to bacterial infection and has demonstrated utility in the risk stratification of patients with potential life-threatening bacterial infections. In addition, procalcitonin has been documented as having a role in reducing the rate of unnecessary antibiotics while positively impacting antibiotic resistance rates and cost savings. The purposes of this review article are to discuss the clinical relevance of C-reactive protein and procalcitonin as diagnostic and prognostic markers for sepsis with a focus on the use of serial procalcitonin levels as a component of antibiotic stewardship programs. The federal government has recently become invested in combating the progression of antibiotic resistance; a 5-year national plan has been developed to address these concerns. Establishing a reliable antibiotic stewardship program is one of the goals of this national plan.

[Expression of plasma miRNA-497 in children with sepsis-induced myocardial injury and its clinical significance]

OBJECTIVE

To study the expression of plasma miRNA-497 in children with sepsis-induced myocardial injury and its clinical significance.

METHODS

A total of 148 children with sepsis were enrolled. According to the presence or absence of myocardial injury, these children were divided into myocardial injury group (n=58) and non-myocardial injury group (n=90). The two groups were compared in terms of the changes in plasma levels of miRNA-497, cardiac troponin I (cTnI), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), procalcitonin (PCT), and C-reactive protein (CRP) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to evaluate the value of plasma miRNA-497, cTnI, and CK-MB in the diagnosis of myocardial injury. A Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine the correlation of miRNA-497 with cTnI, CK-MB, NT-proBNP, PCT, CRP, and LVEF.

RESULTS

Compared with the non-myocardial injury group, the myocardial injury group had significantly higher plasma levels of miRNA-497, cTnI, CK-MB, NT-proBNP, PCT, and CRP (P<0.05). Plasma miRNA-497, cTnI, and CK-MB when measured alone or in combination had an area under the ROC curve of 0.918, 0.931, 0.775, and 0.940 respectively. At the optimal cut-off value of 2.05, miRNA-497 had a sensitivity of 90.4% and a specificity of 91.2%. The correlation analysis showed that there was a good correlation between plasma miRNA-497 and cTnI in children with myocardial injury (r=0.728, P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Plasma miRNA-497 has a similar value as cTnI in the diagnosis of sepsis-induced myocardial injury in children and may be used as a potential marker for early diagnosis of myocardial injury.

Procalcitonin in heart failure: hic et nunc

Although procalcitonin (PCT) was evaluated for the first time in the setting of heart failure (HF) in 1999, its utility in HF patients is still under examination. Patients with HF have significantly higher plasma PCT concentrations than healthy subjects and PCT levels are associated with severity of HF. It has been confirmed that higher levels of PCT are associated with worse outcomes, such as increased mortality and higher rate of rehospitalization, in HF patients with no evidence of infection. Furthermore, it has been approved that PCT-guided antibiotic treatment in HF patients reduces duration of antibiotic therapy and improves outcomes. This review summarizes current evidence from the published literature of the usefulness and limitations of PCT as a biomarker in HF.

Cell-free DNA increase over first 48 hours in emergency intensive care unit predicts fatal outcome in patients with shock

Objective

To investigate whether circulating cell-free (cf)-DNA levels are a useful biomarker for survival in patients with shock in the emergency intensive care unit (EICU).

Methods

This prospective observational study enrolled patients admitted to the EICU diagnosed with shock. Blood cf-DNA levels were analysed on admission, and after 24 and 48 h. As a measure of circulating cf-DNA, copy number of the β-globin gene in plasma was assessed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Results

Circulating cf-DNA levels were higher at hospital admission and after 24 h in EICU patients with shock who died than in those who recovered. Change in cf-DNA levels over the first 48 h in critical care was independently associated with 28-day mortality. The critical cut-off value for cf-DNA change over 48 h in predicting 28-day mortality was +16.12% (sensitivity 68.9%, specificity 89.7%).

Conclusions

Increased circulating cf-DNA levels in EICU patients with shock are associated with risk of death and measuring cf-DNA change over 48 h improves risk prediction. The present study suggests that cf-DNA may serve as a viable plasma biomarker of mortality risk in EICU patients with shock.

Presepsin as a diagnostic marker for sepsis: evidence from a bivariate meta-analysis

Background

The diagnosis of sepsis remains a clinical challenge. Many studies suggest that presepsin plays a role in diagnosing sepsis, but the results remain controversial. This study aimed to identify the overall diagnostic accuracy of presepsin for sepsis through meta-analysis.

Methods

A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed and EMBASE to identify studies evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of presepsin in sepsis patients. Data were retrieved and the pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were calculated. A summary receiver operating characteristic curve and area under curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the overall diagnostic performance. The statistical analysis was performed using Stata 12.0 and Meta-DiSc 1.4 software.

Results

Eleven publications with 3,106 subjects were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and DOR were 0.83 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.77–0.88), 0.81 (95% CI 0.74–0.87), 4.43 (95% CI 3.05–6.43), 0.21 (95% CI 0.14–0.30), and 21.56 (95% CI 10.59–43.88), respectively. The area under the curve was 0.89 (95% CI 0.86–0.92). Estimated positive and negative post-probability values for a sepsis prevalence of 20% were 53% and 5%, respectively. No publication bias was identified.

Conclusion

Based on currently available evidence, presepsin may have a valuable role in the diagnosis of sepsis, and its results should be interpreted carefully in the context of clinical condition and traditional markers.

Are there new approaches for diagnosis, therapy guidance and outcome prediction of sepsis?

Beside many efforts to improve outcome, sepsis is still one of the most frequent causes of death in critically ill patients. It is the most common condition with high mortality in intensive care units. The complexity of the septic syndrome comprises immunological aspects - i.e., sepsis induced immunosuppression - but is not restricted to this fact in modern concepts. So far, exact mechanisms and variables determining outcome and mortality stay unclear. Since there is no typical risk profile, early diagnosis and risk stratification remain difficult, which hinders rapid and effective treatment initiation. Due to the heterogeneous nature of sepsis, potential therapy options should be adapted to the individual. Biomarkers like C-reactive protein and procalcitonin are routinely used as complementary tools in clinical decision-making. Beyond the acute phase proteins, a wide bunch of promising substances and non-laboratory tools with potential diagnostic and prognostic value is under intensive investigation. So far, clinical decision just based on biomarker assessment is not yet feasible. However, biomarkers should be considered as a complementary approach.