ArticleBMC infectious diseases2022
The role of procalcitonin in predicting risk of mechanical ventilation and mortality among moderate to severe COVID-19 patients.
Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- Circulating mid-regional proadrenomedullin is a predictor of mortality in patients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC infectious diseases · 2023Pooled it
- Associations between public health measures and mortality among hospitalised COVID-19 patients: a cross-sectional study in Malaysia.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Blood Inflammatory Markers and Cytokines in COVID-19 Patients With Bacterial Coinfections.Immunity, inflammation and disease · 2024Article
- Study of Biochemical Parameters as Predictors for Need of Invasive Ventilation in Severely Ill COVID-19 Patients.Journal of critical care medicine (Universitatea de Medicina si Farmacie din Targu-Mures) · 2023Article
- Identification of Distinct Clinical Phenotypes of Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients: Results from a Cohort Observational Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Article
- Risk of pediatric inflammatory multi-system syndrome (PIMS or MIS-C) in pediatric patients with COVID-19 presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2022Article
- Evaluation of procalcitonin elevation during ICU stay and its relationship with mortality in ICU patients for COVID-19 with respiratory involvement. A multicenter prospective cohort study.Frontiers in medicine · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSerum procalcitonin (PCT) has become an emerging prognostic biomarker of disease progression in patients with COVID-19. This study aims to determine the optimal cut-off value of PCT with regards to important clinical outcomes, especially for mechanical ventilation and all-cause mortality among moderate to severe COVID-19 patients in Malaysia.
methodsA total of 319 moderate to severe COVID-19 patients hospitalized at the National Referral Hospital in December 2020 were included in the study retrospectively. Demographics, comorbidities, the severity of COVID-19 infection, laboratory and imaging findings, and treatment given were collected from the hospital information system for analysis. The optimal cut-point values for PCT were estimated in two levels. The first level involved 276 patients who had their PCT measured within 5 days following their admission. The second level involved 237 patients who had their PCT measured within 3 days following their admission. Further, a propensity score matching analysis was performed to determine the adjusted relative risk of patients with regards to various clinical outcomes according to the selected cut-point among 237 patients who had their PCT measured within 3 days.
resultsThe results showed that a PCT level of 0.2 ng/mL was the optimal cut-point for prognosis especially for mortality outcome and the need for mechanical ventilation. Before matching, patients with PCT ≥ 0.2 ng/mL were associated with significantly higher odds in all investigated outcomes. After matching, patients with PCT > 0.2 ng/mL were associated with higher odds in all-cause mortality (OR: 4.629, 95% CI 1.387-15.449, p = 0.0127) and non-invasive ventilation (OR: 2.667, 95% CI 1.039-6.847, p = 0.0415). Furthermore, patients with higher PCT were associated with significantly longer days of mechanical ventilation (p = 0.0213). There was however no association between higher PCT level and the need for mechanical ventilation (OR: 2.010, 95% CI 0.828-4.878, p = 0.1229).
conclusionOur study indicates that a rise in PCT above 0.2 ng/mL is associated with an elevated risk in all-cause mortality, the need for non-invasive ventilation, and a longer duration of mechanical ventilation. The study offers concrete evidence for PCT to be used as a prognostication marker among moderate to severe COVID-19 patients.
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