| [Abstract] Objective To analyze the characteristics of procalcitonin (PCT) in patients with liver disease complicated with bacterial infection, and to evaluate the relationship between PCT and WBC, neutrophil percentage, CRP, and the type of pathogenic bacteria of infection, so as to provide a basis for the rational use of antibiotics in the early clinical stage of patients. Methods?One thousand three hundred and fifteen patients with liver disease admitted to the Fifth Medical Center of the General Hospital of the People's Liberation Army from September 2019 to August 2020 were enrolled in this study, 1153 of whom were secondary bacterial infections. They were divided into mild increase group (0.5 ng/ml＜PCT≤2 ng/ml), moderate increase group (2 ng/ml＜PCT＜10 ng/ml) and severe increase group (PCT≥10 ng/ml) according to the increase level of PCT. One hundred and sixty-two cases without secondary bacterial infection and with normal PCT were taken as the control group. To evaluate the characteristics of PCT in patients with liver disease complicated with bacterial infection, and to analyze the relationship between PCT and WBC, percentage of neutrophils, CRP and the type of pathogenic bacteria of infection. Results?Among patients with liver disease and bacterial infection, PCT increased for 87.68% (1153/1315), WBC increased for 41.98% (552/1315), neutrophil percentage increased for 71.86% (945/1315), CRP increased for 43.95% (578/1315), and bacterial culture positive for 20.23% (266/1315). Forty-one point nine percent of the patients with severe increase group had Child Pugh grade C liver function, which was significantly higher than that of moderate increase group, mild increase group and control group (P＜0.05). The patients with septic shock and death in the severe and moderate increase groups accounted for 28.4%, 19.6%, 10.8% and 9.8% respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the mild increase group and the control group (P＜0.05). WBC, neutrophil percentage and CRP level in severe and moderate increase groups were significantly higher than those in mild increase group and control group (P＜0.05). The average level of PCT of patients with Gram--positive bacteria infection was (8.96 ± 19.12) ng/ml, and the average level of PCT of patients with Gram-negative bacteria infection was (5.77 ± 10.44) ng/ml, which were higher than those of patients with liver disease with negative bacterial culture [(4.12±8.64) ng/ml ] (P＜0.05). Conclusions?PCT in patients with liver disease complicated with bacterial infection is more sensitive than WBC, neutrophil percentage, CRP and bacterial culture, and the severity of the patient's condition can be judged by their levels. |