Wiener klinische Wochenschrift
-
Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Oct 2015
Comparison of diagnostic values of procalcitonin, C-reactive protein and blood neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio levels in predicting bacterial infection in hospitalized patients with acute exacerbations of COPD.
Viral or bacterial upper respiratory infections are the most common cause of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Based on available data, no reliable parameter has been presented to distinguish between bacterial and nonbacterial exacerbations. Therefore, we compared the diagnostic value of procalcitonin (PCT) level, which is a newer marker for predicting bacterial infections in patients with AECOPD, to routine parameters such as C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the neutrophil/lymphocyte (N/L) ratio. ⋯ PCT was better than CRP and the N/L ratio for predicting a bacterial infection in hospitalized patients with AECOPD. However, we find PCT not so reliable in predicting bacterial infection in AECOPD due to sensitivity and specificity of less than 80 % and a low AUC value.