Abstract
Procalcitonin PCT has been proposed as an interesting marker in the diagnosis, prognosis, and response to treatment of patient with neonatal sepsis. Fifty-nine neonates 34 males and 25 females with a mean gestational age of ∼31 weeks and a mean weight of about 1750 g admitted in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Cagliari Italy were evaluated in controls and in infected neonates, before and after 48 h of life. From our experience it emerges that PCT is a marker of early and late neonatal sepsis which is reliable in preterm neonates. A cut-off of 0.5 ngml starting from the third day of life appears to be capable of ensuring good test sensitivity and specificity.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 96-101 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine |
Volume | 22 |
Issue number | SUPPL. 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2009 |
Keywords
- Acute-phase markers
- Infection
- Neonatal sepsis
- Preterm newborns
- Procalcitonin
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology