Procalcitonin as the biomarker of inflammation in diagnostics of pediatric appendicular peritonitis and for the prognosis of early postoperative complications.

A total of 43 patients up to 15 years, who underwent appendectomy with preliminary diagnosis of acute appendicitis have been studied at M. Guramishvili Pediatric Clinic in 2004-2005 years. Procalcitonin concentration has been defined in patients' blood sera using the immunoluminometric method (LUMITest PCT, BRAHMS Diagnostika, Berlin, Germany). Analysis of procalcitonin in different groups of patients has shown that increase in procalcitonin correlates with disease severity, and maximally increases in case of peritonitis due to acute destructive appendicitis. The procalcitonin level can be used to confirm the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. It has been suggested that procalcitonin can be used not only as diagnostic marker for acute appendicitis but also as a prognostic marker of it's complications. Using of procalcitonin in case of acute appendicitis would help to carry out timely surgical interventions and predict disease complications.