Table 1.
Distribution of study population according to the procalcitonin concentrations
| PCT (ng/mL) | Interpretation | n | Blood culture positive (%) | Age (yr) | Male (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I (<0.05) |
Healthy |
28 |
1 (3.6) |
68 (5 - 89) |
13 (46.4) |
| II (0.05 – 0.49) |
Local infection |
162 |
10 (6.2) |
67 (0 - 100) |
90 (55.2) |
| III (0.5 – 1.99) |
Systemic infection or sepsis |
75 |
9 (12.0) |
65.5 (0 - 96) |
31 (41.9) |
| IV (2.0 – 9.99) |
Severe sepsis |
42 |
9 (21.4) |
70 (0 - 95) |
20 (47.6) |
| V (≥10) |
Septic shock |
33 |
11 (33.3) |
70 (46 - 102) |
23 (69.7) |
| Total | 340 | 40 (11.8) | 67.5 (0 - 102) | 177 (52.1) |
Age is expressed as median value (range).
Blood culture-positive rates tended to increase according to the PCT groups, showing significant differences (I vs. V, P = 0.0097;
II vs. IV, P = 0.0065; II vs. V, P < 0.0001; III vs. V, P = 0.0184).
PCT: procalcitonin.