Table III.
Comparison of significance of changes in the PCT absolute value and PCT kinetics (ΔPCT) in severe sepsis and septic shock subgroups during the first 5 days following ICU admission
| PCT [µg/l] | Severe sepsis (n = 19) | Septic shock (n = 31) | P-value* | ΔPCT | Severe sepsis (n = 19) | Septic shock (n = 31) | P-value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT1st day | 2.69 (0.34–9.71) | 16.3 (1.55–31.9) | 0.009 | ΔPCT2/1 | 0.33 (–1.53–0.59) | 0.278 (–0.18–0.52) | 0.63 |
| PCT2nd day | 2.04 (0.57–14.9) | 9.05 (0.67–28.1) | 0.12 | ΔPCT3/1 | 0.793 (–0.65–0.94) | 0.355 (0.18–0.79) | 0.84 |
| PCT3rd day | 0.56 (0.23–4.06) | 5.12 (0.92–19.9) | 0.047 | ΔPCT5/1 | 0.877 (0.14–1.00) | 0.88 (0.03–0.95) | 0.35 |
| PCT5th day | 1.01 (0.26–7.22) | 1.73 (0.95–8.74) | 0.41 |
Data are presented as median values and interquartile range (IQR) (25th to 75th percentiles). PCT kinetics is expressed as delta PCT (ΔPCT) concentrations. ΔPCT was calculated as the difference between concentrations on admission day (1st) and the consecutive days (2nd, 3rd and 5th) in relation to the 1st day value. PCT – procalcitonin;
*
p-value for difference between severe sepsis and septic shock.