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Procalcitonin is a reliable marker of severe systemic infection in neutropenic haematological patients with mucositis
Author(s) -
Sarmati Loredana,
Beltrame Angela,
Dori Luca,
Maffongelli Gaetano,
Cudillo Laura,
De Angelis Gottardo,
Picardi Alessandra,
Ottaviani Licia,
Cefalo Maria Giovanna,
Venditti Adriano,
Amadori Sergio,
Arcese William,
Andreoni Massimo
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
american journal of hematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.456
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1096-8652
pISSN - 0361-8609
DOI - 10.1002/ajh.21685
Subject(s) - medicine , procalcitonin , mucositis , university hospital , hematology , clinical microbiology , oncology , biology , sepsis , radiation therapy , microbiology and biotechnology
Patients with neutropenia are exposed to a high risk for infections in which fever is often the unique symptom [1]. Systemic infections remain the main cause of mortality in these patients therefore, the policy for infection management is to promptly administer empirical antibiotic therapy in order to avoid the increased risk of mortality related to the treatment delay [2]. However, microbiological diagnostic tests are not sufficiently rapid, sensitive or specific to indentify the microbial causes of fever, and a considerable number of patients suffer febrile episodes over a prolonged period without a definite microbiological etiology