CHARACTERISTICS OF PATIENTS WITH PROCALCITONIN MEASUREMENTS DURING EARLY DIAGNOSIS PROCESS

Aim: To present the population of patients admitted to the Emergency Department in whom their attending physician decided to assess PCT level. Material and methods: All data were collected between 01/04/2022 and 30/04/2022. The inclusion criterion was performed PCT measurement at admission to the Emergency Department. The following data were noted: age, gender, temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, SpO2, respiratory rate, Glasgow Coma Scale, the diagnosis: pneumonia, infection tractus urinary, diabetes, SARS-Cov-2 infection, PCT level, C-reactive protein level, leucocyte level, glomerular filtration rate. PCT upper normal limit was 0.05 μg/L, C- reactive protein upper limit was 5 mg/dL and leucite number was between 4 and 10 G/dL. Results: PCT level was increased in 68 (83%) of the studied group. The patients with increased PCT level are older, have lower blood pressure and more often increased C-reactive protein concentration. These patients tended to have increased in-hospital mortality. Conclusions: PCT level was increased in the majority of patients in whom this parameter was assessed by emergency physicians. Abnormal leucocyte number and the presence of temperature above 37 Celsius degree had no prediction value of presence of increased PCT. Increased PCT level may indicate the increased risk of the in hospital death. Simple guidelines for PCT usage need to be created and implemented in everyday clinical practice.