Procalcitonin and Gram Stain of Buffy Coat as Predictor of Sepsis In Pediatric

Abstract

Early diagnosis of sepsis in children remains one of the most critical tasks in intensive care, as delays in appropriate therapy significantly increase the risk of mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of combining the procalcitonin test and buffy coat microscopy for the early detection of sepsis in pediatric patients. The study included children with symptoms of systemic inflammatory response admitted to intensive care units. The methodology included quantitative determination of procalcitonin levels by immunofluorescence assay, buffy coat microscopy with Gram staining, and a parallel microbiological blood sterility test. The results showed that procalcitonin determination alone is highly sensitive, but rapid buffy coat microscopy significantly improves the specificity of the initial diagnosis. The detection of bacterial agents in the buffy coat during the first few hours after admission correlated with elevated procalcitonin levels and was confirmed by subsequent increases in blood cultures. The authors conclude that the combined use of procalcitonin and buffy coat microscopy is a rapid and highly effective method for verifying sepsis in its early stages and promptly initiating etiological antibacterial therapy before the results of standard bacterial cultures are available.