AUTHOR=Bianco Blandine , François-Garret Bérengère , Butin Marine , Dalmasso Cyril , Casagrande Florence , Mokhtari Mostafa , Eleni Dit Trolli Sergio 

TITLE=Procalcitonin in Preterm Neonates: A Different Threshold and Prolonged Interpretation

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pediatrics

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2021.623043

DOI=10.3389/fped.2021.623043

ISSN=2296-2360

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objectives:</bold> To evaluate the positive threshold of PCT for neonates of &lt;32 weeks of gestation for the diagnosis of early-onset sepsis and to determine if the level of PCT collected within 6 h of life could be used.</p><p><bold>Design:</bold> Retrospective and bicentric study from May 2016 to April 2018.</p><p><bold>Setting:</bold> Two groups were established, neonates evaluated for PCT at birth (CordPCT) and within 6 h of life (delPCT).</p><p><bold>Patients:</bold> Two hundred and sixty neonates of &lt;32 weeks of gestation born in Nice and South Paris (Bicêtre) University Hospitals, had been evaluated for PCT level.</p><p><bold>Main Outcomes Measures:</bold> The value of the PCT positive threshold was determined for the total population and each groups thanks ROC curves.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> The threshold level of PCT for the total population was 0.98 ng/mL. The threshold value of cordPCT group was 1.00 vs. 0.98 ng/mL for delPCT group. The area under the Receiver Operating Characteristics curve for PCT sampled in delPCT group was significantly higher than in cordPCT group (0.94 compared to 0.75).</p><p><bold>Conclusions:</bold> The threshold level of PCT was higher in this cohort of neonates of &lt;32 weeks of gestation compared to the value generally described for term neonates. The secondary sampling PCT level seems to be usable in screening algorithm for early-onset neonatal sepsis.</p>