[Value of procalcitonin on predicting the severity and prognosis in patients with early ARDS: a prospective observation study].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of procalcitonin (PCT) on predicting the severity and prognosis in patients with early acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). METHODS: ), the patients were classified into mild, moderate, and severe groups according to Berlin Definition. Twenty-five healthy volunteers were served as controls. Demographics, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score, and Murray lung injury score were recorded. Within 24 hours after diagnosis of ARDS, the serum levels of PCT and C-reactive protein (CRP) were determined by enzyme-linked fluorescence analysis (ELFA) and immune turbidimetric method, respectively. The patients were also divided into survival and non-survival groups according to clinical outcome within 28-day follow-up, and the clinical data were compared between the two groups. Spearman rank correlation was applied to determine the correlation between variables. The predictive value of the parameters on 28-day mortality was evaluated with receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis was used to compare different PCT levels of patients with 28-day cumulative survival rate. RESULTS: = 5.013, P = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: The elevated serum PCT level in patients with ARDS seems to be correlated well with the severity of lung injury, and appears to be a useful prognostic marker of outcome in the early phases of ARDS.