Procalcitonin in Diagnosing the Diabetic Foot Infection

Objectives: Diabetic foot infection is a debilitating disease that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. In this study, we assessed inflammatory markers; serum Procalcitonin (PCT), c-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and leukocyte counts in two groups of patients with infected and non-infected diabetic foot ulcer.

Patients and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on diabetic patients during 18 months in Firoozgar Hospital. Patients were divided in two groups according to Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) guideline for diagnosis and treatment of diabetic foot infections. Blood samples were drawn from venous lines for measurement of complete blood count (CBC), ESR, CRP, and PCT. Diagnostic values of serum PCT Levels were determined by immunoluminometric assay. SPSS version 15.0 software was used for analysis.

Results: Sixty adult patients were considered for this study. Thirty patients with infected ulcer with mean age of 57.5× 2.09 years and 30 with non- infected ulcers with mean age of 61.1 1.9 years were evaluated. Patients with infected ulcers had significantly elevated levels of CRP, ESR and leukocyte counts in comparison with the non- infected ulcers. Serum PCT levels did not differ between the two groups.

Conclusion: Our study suggests CRP, ESR and Leukocyte counts can be used to diagnose of infected ulcers. The role of PCT in localized infections should be determined in further studies.