The value of procalcitonin (PCT) in neonatal infection disease diagnosis

Objective:To investigate the value of procalationin(PCT)in neonatal infection disease diagnosis.Methods:PTC was measured in 104 hospitalized neonates,according to the results,the 104 neonates were divided into three groups:severe infection group,general infection and non-infection group,then compared with C-reactive protein(CRP)and blood culture.Results:The positive rates of PCT in severe infection group,general infection and non-infection group were 89.47%,42.58% and 19.23%,respectively,the positive rate of severe group was significantly higher than that of the other two groups,there were significant differences among the three groups(P=0.000).If 2.0ng/L was taken as the critical value,PCT sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of severe infection were 71.05% and 93.94%.respectively compared with CRP,PCT sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of severe infection was much higher,compared with blood culture the positive rate of PCT was much higher.Conclusion:PCT is increaseing in bacterium infection disease of neonatal,it is increasing much higher in severe infection.Therefore,it can be used as a marker in the early stage of neonatal infection disease diagnosis.Its advantage more evident than CRP,it is more valuable in neonatal severe infection such as sepsis.