Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28056911›Full record

ArticleBMC pediatrics2017

Prospective cohort study of procalcitonin levels in children with cancer presenting with febrile neutropenia.

Victoria Hemming, Adam D Jakes, Geoff Shenton, Bob Phillips

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC pediatrics, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07590648 (Phase IV, Randomized, Open Label, Parallel Groups Clinical Trial for Evaluating the Early Stop of Antibiotic Treatment in High-risk Febrile Neutropenic Oncohaematological Paediatric Patients), which is not on this map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 17% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT07590648 phase4not yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

Phase IV, Randomized, Open Label, Parallel Groups Clinical Trial for Evaluating the Early Stop of Antibiotic Treatment in High-risk Febrile Neutropenic Oncohaematological Paediatric Patients (e-STOP 2)

TypeinterventionalSponsorHospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron Research InstituteRan2026 to 2028Enrolled136ConditionsFebrile Neutropenia (FN), Pediatric Cancer, Hematologic Malignancies, Solid TumorsArmsEarly Discontinuation of Antibiotics, Standard Antibiotic Continuation Strategy
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 23 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Victoria HemmingDepartment of Paediatrics, York Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, York, UK. victoriahemming@nhs.net.
Adam D JakesDepartment of Haematology, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK.
Geoff ShentonDepartment of Paediatric Haematology, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Bob PhillipsDepartment of Paediatric Oncology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK.
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust · GBNewcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust · GBUniversity of York · GBYork Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust · GB

Funding

Department of Health PDF-2014-07-072
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFebrile neutropenia (FNP) causes significant morbidity and mortality in children undergoing treatment for cancer. The development of clinical decision rules to help stratify risks in paediatric FNP patients and the use of inflammatory biomarkers to identify high risk patients is an area of recent research. This study aimed to assess if procalcitonin (PCT) levels could be used to help diagnose or exclude severe infection in children with cancer who present with febrile neutropenia, both as a single measurement and in addition to previously developed clinical decision rules.

methodsThis prospective cohort study of a diagnostic test included patients between birth and 18 years old admitted with febrile neutropenia to the Paediatric Oncology and Haematology Ward in Leeds between 1

resultsForty-eight episodes from 27 patients were included. PCT >2 ng/dL was strongly associated with increased risk of severe infection (likelihood ratio of 26 [95% CI 3.5, 190]). The data suggests that the clinical decision rules are largely ineffective at risk stratification, frequently over-stating the risk of individual episodes. High procalcitonin levels on admission are correlated with a greatly increased risk of severe infection.

conclusionsThis study does not show a definitive benefit in using PCT in FNP though it supports further research on its use. The benefit of novel biomarkers has not been proven and before introducing new tests for patients it is important their benefit above existing features is proven, particularly due to the increasing importance of health economics.

Indexed as

AdolescentBiomarkers, TumorCalcitoninChildChild, PreschoolFebrile NeutropeniaFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansInfantMaleNeoplasmsPrognosisProspective StudiesBiomarkers, TumorCalcitoninCancerClinical decision rulesFebrile NeutropeniaPaediatricProcalcitoninRisk stratification

Identifiers

PMID28056911
PMCPMC5217195
OpenAlexW2568009766

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.