Carrol E D, Thomson A P J, Hart C A
Institute of Child Health, Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital NHS Trust, Alder Hey, Eaton Road, Liverpool L12 2AP, UK.
Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2002 Jul;20(1):1-9. doi: 10.1016/s0924-8579(02)00047-x.
Prompt diagnosis and treatment with appropriate antimicrobial chemotherapy is of paramount importance to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with sepsis. Inflammatory markers currently in use, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) do not reliably differentiate between the systemic inflammatory response and sepsis. Procalcitonin (PCT), a precursor of calcitonin, is a 116 amino acid protein that has been proposed as a marker of disease severity in conditions such as septicaemia, meningitis, pneumonia, urinary tract infection (UTI) and fungal and parasitic infection. In particular, serial measurements are useful in order to monitor response to therapy. Together with good clinical judgement and judicious use of antimicrobial agents, PCT should serve as a valuable adjunct in the diagnosis and management of sepsis.
及时进行诊断并采用适当的抗微生物化疗进行治疗对于降低脓毒症相关的发病率和死亡率至关重要。目前使用的炎症标志物，如C反应蛋白（CRP），并不能可靠地区分全身炎症反应和脓毒症。降钙素原（PCT）是降钙素的前体，是一种由116个氨基酸组成的蛋白质，已被提议作为败血症、脑膜炎、肺炎、尿路感染（UTI）以及真菌和寄生虫感染等疾病严重程度的标志物。特别是，连续测量有助于监测治疗反应。结合良好的临床判断和合理使用抗菌药物，PCT应成为脓毒症诊断和管理中有价值的辅助手段。
