PMID: 16522232Mar 9, 2006Paper

Serum procalcitonin levels in children with bacterial or viral meningitis

Zhongguo dang dai er ke za zhi = Chinese journal of contemporary pediatrics
Chun-Feng LiuWei Xu

Abstract

To investigate the ability of serum procalcitonin (PCT) to differentiate between bacterial and viral meningitis. The serum PCT levels were measured in 41 children with acute bacterial (n=18) or viral (n=23) meningitis by immunoluminometric assay. Meanwhile serum CRP levels and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were measured. The children with acute bacterial meningitis had higher levels of PCT (51.73 +/- 30.75 microg/L) and CRP(182.36 +/- 54.5 mg/L) and ESR (50.44 +/- 8.95 mm/h) than those with viral meningitis (0.84 +/- 0.99 microg/L, 8.90 +/- 10.66 mg/L and 16.75 +/- 13.23 mm/h respectively, P < 0.01). Both PCT and CRP had high predictive value for bacterial meningitis based on the area under curve of the receiver operating characteristics curves, 0.984 for PCT (95% confidence interval 0.953-1.013) and 0.983 for CRP (95% confidence interval 0.954-1.012) (P > 0.05). All of the children with bacterial meningitis had serum PCT levels above 0.5 microg/L, but only 2 patients with viral meningitis exceeded this value. The measurement of serum PCT levels may be of value in the differential diagnosis of meningitis due to either bacterial or viruses.

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Bacterial Meningitis (ASM)

Bacterial meningitis continues to be an important cause of mortality and morbidity throughout the world. Here is the latest research.

Bacterial Meningitis

Bacterial meningitis continues to be an important cause of mortality and morbidity throughout the world. Here is the latest research.

Related Papers

Indian Journal of Pediatrics
Rajniti PrasadUtpal Kant Singh
Arthroscopy : the Journal of Arthroscopic & Related Surgery : Official Publication of the Arthroscopy Association of North America and the International Arthroscopy Association
Andreas FottnerVolkmar Jansson
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved