ArticlePloS one2025
Serum procalcitonin and procalcitonin clearance as a prognostic biomarker of sepsis in a pediatric critical care setting: A tertiary care experience 2016-2021.
Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Observational
- Procalcitonin as a Severity-Based Risk Stratification Marker in Pediatric Infectious Diarrhea: A Prospective Study from the Emergency Department.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Shock-Stratified Prognostic Performance of Lactate and Procalcitonin in Pediatric Sepsis In-Hospital Mortality; A Retrospective Cohort Study.Archives of academic emergency medicine · 2026Article
- Prognostic utility of procalcitonin and lactate clearance for in-hospital mortality in sepsis.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSepsis remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in critically ill children worldwide. Identifying reliable prognostic markers is essential for improving risk stratification and guiding targeted therapies. While some studies in adults suggest that procalcitonin (PCT) clearance may better predict sepsis outcomes, there is limited information regarding pediatric sepsis. This study aimed to evaluate whether PCT clearance is associated with mortality among children with severe sepsis and septic shock.
methodsWe retrospectively reviewed medical records of children aged 1 month to 18 years admitted to the PICU who were diagnosed with severe sepsis and septic shock at Srinagarind Hospital, Thailand, between January 2016 and October 2021. Serum PCT was measured at 0, 24, and 48 hours after the initial diagnosis. PCT clearance was calculated using the relative change from baseline. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality.
resultsA total of 242 children were included, with a median age of 8 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 3-14). Most participants (62.8%) had no underlying conditions. The overall mortality rate was 26.5%. An initial PCT level > 2 ng/mL was not significantly associated with mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.17; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.44-3.16, p = 0.8). However, decreased PCT clearance at 24 hours was strongly associated with mortality (aOR = 2.79; 95% CI: 1.11-7.01, p = 0.029). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for 24-hour PCT clearance to predict mortality was 0.71 (95% CI: 0.63-0.80).
conclusionsLower PCT clearance in the first 24 hours was significantly associated with higher mortality in pediatric patients with sepsis. Serial PCT measurements and PCT clearance monitoring may offer valuable prognostic information and could be considered as part of routine clinical evaluations in pediatric sepsis management.
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