ISSN 2326-7291
International Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology ISSN 2326-7291 Vol. 8 (1), pp. 001-005, January, 2019. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
The role of serum markers in assessing the severity and outcome of community acquired pneumonia in Trinidadian population
B. Shivananda Nayak1*, M. Sateesh Sakhamuri2, Barry Raghunanan1, Anandee Allison1, Kali Uppalapati1 and Kishore Patcha2
1Department of Preclinical Sciences, Biochemistry Unit, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.
2Department of Thoracic Medicine, North Central Regional Health Authority, Trinidad and Tobago.
Accepted 23 December, 2018
Abstract
Our aim was to determine whether the use of serum inflammatory markers such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT), either individually or in combination, is significantly associated with community-acquired pneumonia and to determine the role in assessment of the severity and outcome. This study was a prospective cohort study, included forty Trinidadian patients diagnosed with community acquired pneumonia. Blood samples were collected to measure inflammatory markers. Patients were classified according to the pneumonia severity index (PSI) scoring where after serum marker levels were compared among respective groups. Proportions test for positive predictive value of the serum marker indicated that CRP (P=0.001) and ESR (P=0.001) had higher sensitivities to community acquired pneumonia than PCT (P=0.05). There was no association between each of the serum markers and PSI. Eighty three percent low risks had a length of stay of two weeks, while only 18% of high risk stayed for the same duration. The combination of highly sensitive markers like CRP and ESR and a specific marker such as PCT emphasize their importance in better risk assessment in community acquired pneumonia patients.
Key words: Community acquired pneumonia, inflammatory marker, pneumonia scoring index, procalcitonin.