TY  - JOUR
AU  - Caviezel, Claudio
AU  - Schuetz, Philipp
AU  - Gerdes, Stephan
AU  - Gambazzi, Franco
PY  - 2017
TI  - Procalcitonin as preoperative marker for surgery in advanced parapneumonic empyema
JF  - Journal of Thoracic Disease; Vol 9, No 3 (March 28, 2017): Journal of Thoracic Disease
Y2  - 2017
KW  - 
N2  - Background: The optimal time point for surgical management of advanced parapneumonic empyema in need of open pleurectomy and decortication remains unclear. We hypothesized that surgical outcomes will be better when procalcitonin (PCT) levels have dropped to normal ranges as evidence for resolution of the underlying pneumonia.  Methods: We retrospectively analyzed outcomes of 38 patients with advanced parapneumonic empyema who underwent open decortication and pleurectomy with available preoperative PCT (pPCT) values. Patients were divided into two groups based on the pPCT cut-off of 0.25 μg/L. Total length of stay was the primary endpoint. Secondary endpoints included postoperative length of stay, surgery-related complications and death.   Results: Patients with a pPCT ≥0.25 μg/L had a significantly longer total length of stay compared to patients with a pPCT level 
UR  - https://jtd.amegroups.org/article/view/12422