PROCALCITONIN IN EARLY DETECTION OF POSTOPERATIVE COMPLICATIONS

Background: A prospective clinical study was performed to assess the a ccuracy of procalcitonin in 70 patients with elective colorectal or ao rtal surgery and to compare it with inflammatory mediators. Also the e arly prediction of complications and the outcome of these patients was taken into account, Methods: Laboratory variables and cytokine determ ination were obtained preoperatively on the day of operation and posto peratively on a daily basis from day 1 to 5, and on days 7 and early r ecognition of complications and alterations in the production of proca lcitonin and cytokines in order to detect severe infective complicatio ns. Results: Procalcitonin was closely related to postoperative compli cations with significantly elevated levels at day 1 after surgery. The plasma concentrations of IL-6 increase on days 1-3 without a differen ce in the groups, also C-reactive protein demonstrates no differences. Conclusion: Procalcitonin presents itself as a new parameter of infec tion and sepsis. In the postoperative period PCT seems to be an intere sting marker of early prediction of infective complications when high postoperative levels are found. Under routine conditions procalcitonin is a valid reproducible and detectable parameter.