Procalcitonin in hemodialysis patients presenting with fever or chills to the emergency department

R. Schneider, M. J. Cohen, S. Benenson, O. Duchin, Y. S. Haviv, M. Elhalel-Darnitski, P. D. Levin

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    We sought to assess the role of procalcitonin in discriminating severe bacterial infections requiring antibiotic treatment from non-bacterial causes of fever or chills in chronic dialysis patients. Chronic hemodialysis patients who were admitted to the emergency room due to fever and/or chills were recruited to the study. The presence or absence of bacterial infection was defined after recruitment conclusion by an infectious disease specialist who was blinded to procalcitonin results. Procalcitonin levels were compared between infected and non-infected patients. Out of 54 patients recruited, 22 (41%) patients eventually diagnosed with infection. Mean (± SD) procalcitonin values were 4.3 (± 5.5) ng/ml among cases, 1.0 (± 2.0) ng/ml among controls with no infection (p = 0.02). A cutoff PCT value of 1 ng/ml or higher had 77% sensitivity and 59% specificity for the diagnosis of severe infection. Procalcitonin cannot usefully identify hemodialysis patient with bacterial infection.

    Original languageAmerican English
    Pages (from-to)257-262
    Number of pages6
    JournalInternal and Emergency Medicine
    Volume15
    Issue number2
    DOIs
    StatePublished - 1 Mar 2020

    Keywords

    • Bacterial infection
    • Hemodialysis
    • Procalcitonin

    All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

    • Internal Medicine
    • Emergency Medicine

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