Phospholipase A--a parameter of sepsis? A comparison of PLA and Stevens' Sepsis Severity Score.

Phospholipase A (PLA) and Sepsis Severity Score (SSS) were measured regularly in 28 patients with sepsis (n = 11), pancreatic operations (n = 7), or multitrauma combined with contused abdominal trauma (n = 10). No linear correlation was found between these two parameters. A statistical correlation could be shown for the paired values PLAmax/SSS or PLA/SSSmax. They lie together above or below their "critical value" of 20 points SSS or 30 U/l PLA (alpha less than 0.05). The evaluation of mortality shows a distinctly higher significance for the SSS (P less than 0.01) in comparison with the PLA (P less than 0.05). In certain cases PLA was the first parameter which could have shown the beginning of a septic process.