Comparison of efficacy of procalcitonin (PCT) and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) as biochemical markers of sepsis in paediatric intensive care unit (ICU)

Abstract

Background & Objectives: Sepsis in pediatric population has a high mortality rate and global health impact. Explicit diagnostic testing is critical in order to ensure timely and accurate diagnosis. Our study is aimed at comparing the efficacy of CRP and PCT, keeping blood culture as gold standard, in diagnosing sepsis in pediatric population to improve treatment and survival.

Method: This was a Cross-Sectional survey conducted at the Department of Pediatric Medicine at The Shaikh Zayed Hospital Lahore using a questionnaire-based interview of parents of all eligible patients with suspected sepsis admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit over six months, i.e. 3^rd January 2025 to 30^th June 2025. CRP and PCT tests were done and their  sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy were calculated.

Results: A total of 165 children were enrolled in this study. Male were 46.7% and female were 53.3%. Our patients were neonates with a mean age of one day. C-Reactive Protein had a sensitivity and specificity of 75.5% and 67.2% respectively; while, Procalcitonin had a significantly higher sensitivity and specificity 83.6% and 86.2% respectively. The most common culture growth organism was Klebsiella (44.4 %); other organisms included Pseudomonas (26.7 %), Acinobacter (20 %), and E.coli (8.9 %).

Conclusions: Procalcitonin has a better sensitivity and specificity than C reactive protein in the early diagnosis of sepsis.