Journal of International Medical Research (Jul 2018)

Procalcitonin and albumin as prognostic biomarkers in elderly patients with a risk of bacterial infection

  • Toshihiro Higashikawa,
  • Masashi Okuro,
  • Keiichirou Ishigami,
  • Kunihiro Mae,
  • Ryusho Sangen,
  • Takurou Mizuno,
  • Daisuke Usuda,
  • Atushi Saito,
  • Yuji Kasamaki,
  • Akihiro Fukuda,
  • Hitoshi Saito,
  • Shigeto Morimoto,
  • Tsugiyasu Kanda

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/0300060518766640
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 46

Abstract

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Aim This study was performed to investigate serum procalcitonin (PCT) and albumin (Alb) as prognostic biomarkers in elderly patients at risk of bacterial infection. Methods Serum PCT was measured in 270 hospitalized patients (mean age, 77.4 years) with suspected bacterial infection. The PCT-negative (2.5 g/dL), no significant difference in survival was observed between the PCT-positive and -negative groups. However, within the Alb-negative group (≤2.5 g/dL), the survival rate was significantly lower in the PCT-positive than -negative group. PCT was strongly associated with CRP and Alb, and having both PCT positivity and Alb negativity was a prognostic factor for elderly people at risk of bacterial infection. Conclusions Combined measurement of PCT with Alb is expected to be a valuable tool to assess prognosis in elderly people at risk of bacterial infection.