Postoperative plasma concentrations of procalcitonin after different types of surgery

Abstract

Procalcitonin (PCT) is an inflammatory induced protein indicating severe bacterial infection or systemic inflammation in critically ill patients. To use PCT for diagnosis of infection or systemic inflammation also in the postoperative period, PCT should not substantially be induced by the surgical trauma in patients with a regular postoperative course. We thus measured PCT and CRP plasma concentrations after different types of surgery in patients with a regular postoperative course.