Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36276783›Full record

ArticleAJOG global reports2022

An evaluation into the use of procalcitonin levels as a biomarker of bacterial sepsis to aid the management of intrapartum pyrexia and chorioamnionitis.

Sarah Walker, Irasha Harding, Kamran Soomro, Andrew R Bamber, Sophie Carrick, Abdul H Waheed, Rachel E Liebling

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in AJOG global reports, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 28% 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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Emergency medicine international · 2022
    Article
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

7 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Sarah WalkerDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, United Kingdom (Dr Walker, Dr Carrick, Dr Waheed, and Dr Liebling).
Irasha HardingUK Health Security Agency, Bristol, United Kingdom (Dr Harding).
Kamran SoomroDepartment of Computer Science Research Centre, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom (Dr Soomro).
Andrew R BamberDepartment of Cellular Pathology, North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol, United Kingdom (Dr Bamber).
Sophie CarrickDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, United Kingdom (Dr Walker, Dr Carrick, Dr Waheed, and Dr Liebling).
Abdul H WaheedDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, United Kingdom (Dr Walker, Dr Carrick, Dr Waheed, and Dr Liebling).
Rachel E LieblingDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, United Kingdom (Dr Walker, Dr Carrick, Dr Waheed, and Dr Liebling).
University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust · GBNorth Bristol NHS Trust · GBUK Health Security Agency · GBUniversity of the West of England · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundProcalcitonin is an established biomarker for bacterial sepsis in the nonpregnant population with better diagnostic and prognostic value for bacterial infections.

objectiveThis study aimed to evaluate whether procalcitonin levels could be used in the diagnosis and management of intrapartum sepsis in women and their neonates suspected of intrapartum bacterial sepsis. STUDY

designA prospective observational cohort study was conducted at the University Hospitals of Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust. Overall, 117 women and their neonates managed for suspected intrapartum sepsis from June 2020 to October 2020 were included. Procalcitonin levels were measured in addition to routine biomarkers white cell count and C-reactive protein in women and their neonates during the initial septic screen and follow-up blood samples. The placentas underwent detailed histopathology. Maternal and neonatal parameters were used to categorize cases into "high-suspicion bacterial sepsis," "equivocal bacterial sepsis," and "low-suspicion bacterial sepsis." The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare categories with biomarker values and placental histology scores.

resultsProcalcitonin level was increased in 6 women in the initial septic screen sample, compared with 100 women with an increased C-reactive protein level. There was a significant difference in maternal postnatal procalcitonin results between "high-suspicion bacterial sepsis" and "low-suspicion bacterial sepsis" categories (

conclusionIn our cohort of women, 94.6% had normal procalcitonin levels while in labor at the time of the septic screen, consistent with the low number of confirmed bacteremia. The result provided a basis that procalcitonin may complement clinical judgment and interpretation of already used prognostic and diagnostic tests, improving patient care in the management of intrapartum sepsis.

Indexed as

chorioamnionitisintrapartum sepsisprocalcitoninsepsis biomarkers

Identifiers

PMID36276783
PMCPMC9563784
OpenAlexW4281750806

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.