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CARDIOVASCULAR
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Volume 3, 1998, No 3/4 |
Postoperative Plasma
Concentrations of Procalcitonin and C-reactive Protein in
Patients undergoing Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery with and without
Cardiopulmonary Bypass
M. Meisner, K.
Tschaikowsky, A. Hutzler, F. Harig, J. von der Emde
Background: Plasma concentrations of procalcitonin (PCT) and of C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured after cardiac and thoracic surgery to analyze postoperative unspecific induction of PCT, which might interfere with diagnosis of bacterial infection and sepsis by PCT.
Methods: PCT and CRP was prospectively measured in 25 patients five days after cardiac surgery with extracorporeal circulation (ECC) and 12 patients with thoracic surgery without ECC with a regular postoperative course and no signs of inflammation or infection.
Results: In patients undergoing cardiac surgery PCT was < 0.5 µg l-1 in 44 % and < 2.0 µg l-1 in 92 % of patients (median 0.74 µg l-1). After thoracic surgery PCT was < 0.5 µg l-1 in 33 % and < 2.0 µg l-1 in 92 % of patients (median 0.58 µg l-1). PCT was not significantly different between cardiac and thoracic surgery patients (p = 0.76, MWU-test) and showed no correlation with the duration of ECC. CRP increased in all patients studied (median 195 mg l-1 for cardiac surgery, 133 mg l-1 for thoracic surgery, p = 0.02).
Reference:
CVE. 1998; 3 (3/4):
174-178
Address for
Correspondence:
Michael Meisner,
M.D.
Clinic for Anesthesiology
University of Jena, Bachstr. 18
D-07743 Jena, Germany.
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