RESUMO
The ill patients present frequently a systemic inflammatory response; showing problems in differing if there is an aggregated infection; it means sepsis. The objective of this article is to revise the literature about parameter evaluation which are used for monitoring the inflammatory response and its capacity to predict sepsis. Mainly, European studies show comparisons between different markers as leucocytes count, C reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), a new parameter described in 1993 and the interleukins. These studies reveal that the determination of cytokines and other acute phase proteins are laborious, and they do not differ if there is infection. In contrast, CPR an specially PCT show in different studies to have a sensibility and specificity over 80 percent, being similar for both. In relation with corporal temperature, leucocyte count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate do not show utility. Therefore, actually the best inflammatory markers are CRP and the PCT. In my opinion I consider the first one (CRP) not replace in our environment for the monitoring of the inflammatory response