The diagnostic value of procalcitonin combined with C-reactive protein in bacterial pneumonia in elderly patients / 国际检验医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of procalcitonin(PCT) combined with C‐reactive protein (CRP) in the pulmonary infection in elderly patients .Methods 145 cases of inpatients in Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College from Mar .2013 to Mar .2014 were selected and divided into three groups [non‐infection group (43 cases) ,local infection group (68 ca‐ses) ,severe infection group (34 cases)] according to whether they have pulmonary bacterial infection and the severity of infection . Serum PCT level ,blood CRP level and white blood cell (WBC) counts were detected ,and the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) were evaluated .The diagnostic values of these inflammatory markers were compared .Results The serum PCT level in the serve infection group was significantly higher than those in the local infection group and non‐infection group (P<0 .05) ,area under the ROC curve (AUC) of PCT was 0 .960 ± 0 .033 ,CRP was 0 .717 ± 0 .084 ,WBC was 0 .582 ± 0 .094 ,respectively .When the threshold of PCT was 0 .2 μg/mL ,the diagnostic sensitivity was 95 .1% ,specificity was 88 .4% ,Youden index was 0 .835 ;when the threshold of CRP was 67 .72 mg/L ,the diagnostic sensitivity was 57 .8% ,specificity was 83 .7% ,Youden index was 0 .415 .The AUC of WBC had no diagnostic value .Conclusion PCT could be an ideal marker in diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia and assessing the severity of infection in elderly patients .PCT combined with CRP ,WBC could provide better auxiliary diagnosis of the pulmonary infection in elderly patients .