Role of Procalcitonin as a Prognostic Marker in Patients with Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Document Type : Review Articles

Authors

1 internal medicine ,faculty of medicine ,zagazig university

2 dapartmenr of internal medicine,faculty of medicityine ,zagazig univers

3 Ass. Professor of Clinical Pathology Faculty of Medicine - Zagazig University

4 M.B.B.Ch., Faculty of Medicine, Omar Almokhtar University, Libya

Abstract

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is one dangerous and perhaps fatal side effect of diabetes mellitus. Even in teaching hospitals, DKA is still poorly managed in spite of all the current guidelines. Therefore, it is very important to find clinical and biochemical prognostic indicators of diabetic ketoacidosis in order to lower morbidity and death. Patients who present with DKA are often offered empiric antibiotics because early diagnosis and treatment of infections are critical components of improved patient outcomes. Due to the similarities in patient presentation between infections and DKA, antibiotics are used excessively in both cases. This may result in higher treatment expenses, adverse drug reactions, and an increased chance of antibiotic resistance. Procalcitonin (PCT) is one biomarker that has helped clinicians distinguish infectious etiologies from other conditions. It can also be used to delay the start of antibiotics or stop their course entirely. It is not clear how useful PCT is for determining whether bacterial infection is the cause of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).

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