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Procalcitonin is a valid marker of infection in decompensated cirrhosis - PubMed
Source: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Article summary:
1. Procalcitonin is a 116 amino acid propeptide of calcitonin that can be used as an early marker of infection in cirrhosis.
2. 127 patients with liver cirrhosis were analysed and stratified into three groups according to bacteriological and morphological findings.
3. Procalcitonin serum levels provided the most sensitive and specific tool for the initial diagnosis of bacterial infection, with a sensitivity of 92% and specificity of 78%.
Article analysis:
The article “Procalcitonin is a valid marker of infection in decompensated cirrhosis” provides an overview of the use of procalcitonin as an early marker for bacterial infections in cirrhosis patients. The article is generally well-written and provides a clear description of the study design, results, and conclusions.
The trustworthiness and reliability of the article are supported by its use of standard criteria for diagnosing infection, commercially available methods for measuring procalcitonin, interleukin-6, tumour necrosis factor alpha, and C-reactive protein levels, as well as its reporting on mortality rates associated with procalcitonin levels above 0.58 ng/ml.
However, there are some potential biases that should be noted when considering this article’s trustworthiness and reliability. First, the sample size was relatively small (127 patients), which may limit the generalizability of the results to other populations or settings. Second, it is unclear whether any confounding factors were taken into account when interpreting the results; if not, this could lead to inaccurate conclusions about the efficacy of procalcitonin as a diagnostic tool for bacterial infections in cirrhosis patients. Finally, it would have been helpful if the authors had discussed possible risks associated with using procalcitonin as a diagnostic tool; without this information it is difficult to assess whether or not this method is safe or effective for diagnosing bacterial infections in cirrhosis patients.
In conclusion, while this article provides useful information about using procalcitonin as an early marker for bacterial infections in cirrhosis patients, there are some potential biases that should be taken into consideration when assessing its trustworthiness and reliability.