Articles Tập 67 Số CĐ14-HNKH Hội Hóa sinh Y học Việt Nam 19/09/2026

ASSOCIATION OF PLASMA PROCALCITONIN LEVELS WITH PRIMARY INFECTION SOURCE AND CAUSATIVE PATHOGENS IN SEPSIS PATIENTS

Pham Thi Minh Huyen, Nguyen Thi Phuong Quyen, Nguyen Thi Phuong Cuc, Tran Minh Vu, Nguyen Cam Thach
DOI: 10.52163/yhc.v67iCD14.6465
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Abstract

Procalcitonin (PCT) is a prohormone of calcitonin, PCT is considered a useful biomarker for guiding antibiotic therapy and prognosticating septic patients.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between admission blood PCT levels and the primary site of infection and causative pathogens to evaluate PCT's role in early diagnosis. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 100 patients with sepsis and 105 patients with septic shock.

Results: Patients with abdominal sources of infection had the highest PCT levels, followed by those with urinary tract infections and skin infections. Patients with respiratory tract infections showed the lowest PCT levels, and this difference was statistically significant. Gram-negative bacterial infections were associated with significantly higher PCT levels compared to gram-positive infections. The ability to differentiate between gram-negative and gram-positive infections was moderate, with an Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUROC) of 0.67 and a sensitivity of 76%.

Conclusion: Blood PCT levels upon admission are of significant value in early diagnosis, identifying the source of infection, and especially in differentiating between Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial sepsis.

Keywords
PCT, sepsis, septic shock.
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