Study of Importance of Serum Pro Calcitonin as a Marker in Patients of Sepsis

Context: Sepsis is widely recognized as a significant global health issue. Identifying the cause of sepsis is a highly challenging task. It is crucial to identify biomarkers that are both accurate and effective in order to support or rule out a clinical diagnosis of bacterial illness. Serum Procalcitonin has been identified as a biomarker for sepsis. However, there is a scarcity of available studies to substantiate this claim. Therefore, this investigation was conducted with respect to this matter.  Objective :  To identify the diagnostic value of Serum Pro calcitonin in patients suffering with sepsis.  To assess if Pro calcitonin levels have a bearing on prognosis of patients with Sepsis.  Settings & Design: The cross-sectional study was carried out at Katuri Medical College and Hospital in Guntur, from June 2022 to December 2022, spanning a period of 6 months. This study had a cohort of 100 patients. This study included exclusively adult patients, aged 18 years and above, who presented with acute sepsis. The study excludes patients who have a documented history of cardiac involvement, recent surgery, cancer, or trauma.  Materials & Methods: The study group conducts investigations on PROCALCITONIN and other related factors. The individuals were categorized into three distinct groups, namely Sepsis, Severe Sepsis, and Septic Shock. The statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 15.0. The Fisher exact test and Chi-square test were utilized.   Results: The presence of PROCALCITONIN was detected in 78% of the subjects, and there was a statistically significant difference between the groups (p = 0.015). The mean values of PROCALCITONIN in sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock were 1.50ng/mL, 13.49ng/mL, and 55.66ng/mL, respectively. These differences were statistically significant with a p-value of less than 0.001. The average levels of PROCALCITONIN in patients who died were 43.78ng/mL, while in those who lived, the average levels were 6.22ng/mL. This difference is statistically significant (p<0.001). The most prevalent cause of sepsis was determined to be respiratory tract infection.  Conclusion: Serum Procalcitonin is a valuable diagnostic indicator for sepsis and is also effective in evaluating the seriousness of sepsis. Furthermore, it was discovered to be a valuable tool in forecasting the prognosis of individuals suffering from sepsis.