Clinical value of serum iron in the diagnosis and treatment of children with pulmonary infectious diseases / 中国基层医药

ABSTRACT

Objective To observe the changes of serum iron in patients with bronchopneumonia (bacterial pneumonia,mycoplasmal pneumonia) before and after treatment,and to discuss whether it can be used as an indicator of infection.Methods Forty cases with bacterial pneumonia and 41 cases with mycoplasmal pneumonia were recruited.The serum iron levels before and after treatment in bacterial pneumonia group and mycoplasmal pneumonia group were compared and analyzed.The correlation between white blood cell count,percentage of neutrophils,serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the serum iron levels before treatment,and changes of the serum iron before and after treatment were analyzed.Results The level of serum iron after treatment in the bacterial pneumonia group [(16.28 ±5.81) μmol/L] was significantly higher than that before treatment [(4.83 ± 2.12) μ mol/L] (t =-11.19,P＜0.001).The level of serum iron after treatment in the mycoplasmal pneumonia group [(15.17 ±5.31) μmoL/L] was also significantly higher than that before treatment [(4.77 ± 1.99) μmol/L] (t =-11.29,P ＜0.001).The serum iron levels between the two groups before and after treatment had no statistically significant differences (t =0.135,0.898,P =0.893,0.373).There was no correlation between white blood cell count,percentage of neutrophils,CRP and serum iron levels before treatment (bacterial pneumonia groupr =-1.87,-0.219,-0.152;mycoplasmal pneumonia groupr =-0.032,-0.302,-0.274) and changes of the serum iron before and after treatment (bacterial pneumonia groupr =0.098,0.062,0.205;mycoplasmal pneumonia groupr =0.01 1,0.171,-0.105,P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion The serum iron level is significantly decreased in children with pulmonary infectious diseases and increased to normal level after anti-infection treatment.Serum iron can not be used as an indicator of infection in children.