Procalcitonin as a marker of nosocomial infections in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Abstract

To determine accuracy of procalcitonin concentrations for diagnosing nosocomial infections in critically ill neonates. Case-control study. Neonatal intensive care unit of a teaching hospital. Twenty-three neonates with nosocomial infection. Four controls matched for duration of hospital stay and birth date were chosen for each case patient. PCT concentrations were measured by the LUMItest procalcitonin kit at onset of signs of infection and after recovery. Range of PCT concentrations (ng/ml) was 2.0 to 249.1 in case patients and 0.08 to 1.0 in controls (sensitivity and specificity, 100%). PCT values returned to normal (<1.0 ng/ml) by day 3 to 7 of appropriate antibiotic therapy. Measurement of PCT concentrations may be useful for early diagnosis and monitoring of infectious complications in neonates during their stay in the neonatal intensive care unit.