Abstract

Objective: To examine the diagnostic and prognostic performances of serum procalcitonin (PCT) in adult and elderly patients with bloodstream infections (BSIs). Method: A total of 176 patients with culture-proven BSIs and 200 healthy counterparts were studied prospectively. Participants were studied in two adult (age <= 65 years, n = 92) and elderly (age > 65 years, n = 84) groups. Admission serum PCT level was measured using a standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Results: The mean serum PCT level (in ng/mL) was significantly higher in cases than in controls (0.18 vs. 0.07, p = 0.01 in adults; 0.20 vs. 0.07, p = 0.002 in elderly). At cut-off values of 0.09 ng/mL in adults and 0.08 ng/mL in the elderly, the corresponding sensitivity and specificity were 82.6 and 82.0 in adults, and 69.1 and 70.0 in elderly, respectively. At a cut-off value of 0.2 ng/mL, the sensitivity and specificity of serum PCT in predicting 28-day mortality were 81 and 81.7 in adults, and 75 and 80.4 in elderly, respectively. Conclusion: Although admission serum PCT is a sensitive and specific biomarker for the diagnosis of BSIs in patients younger than 65 years old, its short-term prognostic value is comparable between adults and the elderly.