Diagnostic utility of LightCycler SeptiFast and procalcitonin assays in the diagnosis of bloodstream infection in immunocompromised patients

Sepsis is an increasingly prevalent cause of death, and management in the early stage is a critical issue. However, microbiological findings are generally obtained late during the course of the disease. In this study, we evaluated the clinical utility of procalcitonin (PCT) in improving the diagnosis of bloodstream infections and the potential utility of the SeptiFast (SF) test, a multiplex pathogen detection system, in the etiological diagnosis of immunocompromised patients. Seventy-nine hospitalized immunocompromised patients were included in this study. Our results demonstrate that while the PCT value correlates highly with sepsis, the results do not discriminate adequately enough to justify its independent use as a diagnostic tool. The SF test, combined with blood cultures, improves microbiological data in immunocompromised patients, especially in cases of previous antibiotic therapy and invasive fungal infection. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.