简介：BackgroundSepticshockcausedbybacteremiaisalife-threateninginfectionwhoseprognosisishighlydependentonearlyrecognitionandappropriatetreatment.Procalcitonin(PCT)hasbeenshowntoaccuratelyandquicklydistinguishbacteremiafromnoninfectiousinflammatorystatesincriticallyseverepatients.However,theextentofPCTmagnitudeelevationaccordingtotheGramstainresultinelderlypatientswithcoronaryheartdisease(CHD)attheonsetofsepticshockcausedbybacteremiavaries,andhasnotbeenclearlyelucidated.MethodsThemedicalrecordsofadvancedage(non-neutropenic)patientwithCHDandsepticshockbetweenMar2013andJun2015whohadbacteremiacausedbyeitherGram-positive(GP)bacteriaorGram-negative(GN)bacteriawerereviewed,andthelevelsofPCT,C-reactive(CRP)proteinandwhitebloodcellscount(WBC)inbothgroupswereanalyzed.Results75episodesofeitherGNbacteremia(n=40)orGPbacteremia(n=35)wereenrolled.PCTlevelswerefoundtobemarkedlyhigherinpatientswithGNbacteremiathaninthosewithGPbacteremia[(8.93±17.58)vs.(64.42±58.56)ng/L(P<0.001)],whereastherewasnosignificantdifferenceinCRPandWBC(P>0.05).Moreover,ahighPCTlevelwasfoundtobeindependentlyassociatedwithGNbacteremiainthisstudypopulation.APCTlevelof19.69ng/mLyieldeda72.5%sensitivity,a91.4%specificity,an8.43positivelikelihoodratioanda0.30negativelikelihoodratioforGN-relatedbacteremiainthestudycohort[AUROCC=0.870(0.041),95%CI(0.790-0.949)].ConclusionInanelderlypatient(non-neutropenic)withCHDandsepticshock,GNbacteremiacouldbeassociatedwithhigherPCTvaluesthanthosefoundinGPbacteremia(PCT>19.69ng/mL).