031 - Sepsis-markers: guideline for a rational use
Autor(s): M. Schinella, M. Ruscio
Issue: RIMeL - IJLaM, Vol. 4, N. 3-S1, 2008 (MAF Servizi srl ed.)
Page(s): 31-35
A sepsis-marker should be useful in early diagnosis and characterized by a high sensitivity and specificity. It should be related with the disease importance and with the prognostic value. A long half-life and an easy marker-dosage are necessary for a clinic use. The available markers are numerous: WBC, C-reactive protein (PCR), procalcitonin (PCT), endotoxin, cytochin, receptor for IL-1, complement factors, endotelin- 1, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, phospholipase A2, PGE2, lattoferrin, neopterin, and elastase. However, none of them is specific to sepsis and diagnosis must be evaluated in the context of the clinical evidence of sepsis. Collaboration with the clinical staff is essential to exploit their diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic potentiality. In this context, the PCT-dosage utility is documented by a growing number of scientific work