Procalcitonin in liver transplant patients--yet another stone turned

TY - JOUR

T1 - Procalcitonin in liver transplant patients--yet another stone turned

AU - Jensen, Jens-Ulrik

AU - Lundgren, Jens D

N1 - Keywords: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacterial Infections; Biological Markers; Calcitonin; Humans; Liver Transplantation; Postoperative Complications; Predictive Value of Tests; Protein Precursors

PY - 2008

Y1 - 2008

N2 - Liver transplantation has been reported to initiate increases in procalcitonin levels, in the absence of bacterial infection. The results of a study investigating the course of procalcitonin levels over several days after liver transplantation in noninfected patients were recently reported in Critical Care. This study shows that procalcitonin levels increase only transiently, immediately after surgery, and thereafter they rapidly decrease. This new information gives us hope that procalcitonin can be used as a marker of bacterial infection in these patients. Further studies of patients undergoing liver transplantation with and without bacterial infection are needed.

AB - Liver transplantation has been reported to initiate increases in procalcitonin levels, in the absence of bacterial infection. The results of a study investigating the course of procalcitonin levels over several days after liver transplantation in noninfected patients were recently reported in Critical Care. This study shows that procalcitonin levels increase only transiently, immediately after surgery, and thereafter they rapidly decrease. This new information gives us hope that procalcitonin can be used as a marker of bacterial infection in these patients. Further studies of patients undergoing liver transplantation with and without bacterial infection are needed.

U2 - 10.1186/cc6221

DO - 10.1186/cc6221

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 18254924

SN - 1364-8535

VL - 12

SP - 108

JO - Critical Care

JF - Critical Care

IS - 1

ER -