Value of procalcitonin for the diagnosis of severe bacterial infections in infants under 6 months

Abstract

Introduction: The management of febrile infants is often difficult. Procalcitonin has demonstrated its potential as an acute-phase biomarker for severe bacterial infections. Objective: The aim of this study is to compare the biologic parameters: procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, white blood cell and absolute neutrophil cell counts in detecting severe bacterial infections. Materials and methods: This prospective study included infants less than 6 months with fever over a period of 8 months. Results: Among 103 infants included, 42 (40.8%) were diagnosed as having a severe bacterial infection. Procalcitonin at a threshold of 0.305 ng/ml was the most effective for the identification of severe bacterial infection with a sensitivity of 90.5% and a specificity of 62.3%. In the multivariate analysis, procalcitonin at a threshold of 0.305 ng/ml, C reactive protein and fever ≥39° were associated with severe bacterial infections. Conclusion: Procalcitonin has better characteristics compared with traditional screening tests for identifying febrile infants less than 6 months with severe bacterial infection.