Diagnostic Value of Procalcitonin versus CReactive Protein among Infected Adults in The Intensive Care Unit

Background:Infection is a major challenge in emergency departments and intensive care units (ICUs), causing high mortality and morbidity. Early diagnosis and timely intervention are essential to improve the prognosis of infected patients. Serum procalcitonin (PCT) is a biological marker of increasing interest for detecting bacterial infections including sepsis . It has been widely investigated that an increase in serum PCT correlates closely with the inflammatory response to microbial infections. CRP is acute phase reactant which is produced not only during infection but also in many types of inflammation. The study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of procalcitonin versus CRP for sepsis in adults.Methods:This study was performed in The Intensive Care Unit Of Internal Medicine Department and medical microbiology and immunology department , Zagazig University Hospitals from the period between December 2019 and May 2020.All participants were submitted to the following:investigations:(Evaluation of Serum procalcitonin level and CRP). Results:There is no statistically significant difference between the studied groups as regard age, sex, and anthropometric measures. Our results revealed that Positive cases were significantly higher regard all markers. All markers with significant area under curve and cutoffs Higher validity regard detection of positive culture was CRP then PCT. Our results showed that Septic shock group was significantly higher regard CRP with no sig difference between infection and sepsis , regard PCT septic shock group was sig higher than other group and sepsis group was sig higher than infection . regard detection of sepsis, All markers with significant area under curve and cutoffs Higher validity was PCT and finally CRP. Conclusion: PCT and CRP are a promising markers for diagnosis of infection and sepsis. CRP is superior than PCT in detection of infection.