فردین اسدی - Dept. of Pediatric, Mosavi Hospital, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
حسن پور مشتاق - Dept. of Pediatric, Mosavi Hospital, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
علی کوشا - Dept. of Pediatric, Mosavi Hospital, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
سعیده مظلومزاده - Dept.of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran

Background and Objective: Most of the studies emphasize increasing PCT in septic shock. The aim of this study was to determine the level of CRP in children suffering from bacterial infection and compare it with PCT in children hospitalised in Mousavi Hospital. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out with ۸۱ children aged ۳ months to۱۳ years old hospitalised in pediatrics ward and the PICU of Mousavi Hospital in ۲۰۱۱-۲۰۱۲.Venous sampling was obtained for the tests and for blood cultures before starting the antibiotic treatment. In special cases, urine and CSF cultures were done. The chest radiography was carried out for children suspected of having the pneumonia and sepsis. Patients who had received parenteral antibiotics one week before their admission to the hospital, were excluded from the study. Results: The level of PCT was equal or less than ۰.۵ ng/ml, ۰.۵ to ۱۰ ng/ml and ۱۰ ng/ml in ۴۱.۷%, ۳۶.۹% and ۲۰.۲ % of patients, respectively. The increase in the rate of serum PCT in patients with septic shock was significantly higher than patients infected with SIRS and sepsis. CRP was found higher than ۱۰ in ۷۱.۴% of patients. The kappa agreement rate of PCT and CRP was ۰.۴۶ and meaningful (p < ۰.۰۰۰۱). Conclusion: Despite the high diagnostic sensitivity of PCT, measuring the CRP is also convenient and affordable in differentiating different stages of infection.

Keywords: Procalcitonin (PCT), Sepsis, Septic shock, Systemic inflammatory response Syndrome (SIRS), C-reactive Protein (CRP)