Abstract
Sepsis is one of the leading causes of death in the critically ill. Early diagnosis is important to avoid delay in instituting appropriate treatment. However, diagnosis can be delayed because of difficulty in interpreting clinical features. Sepsis biomarkers can aid early diagnosis. This article reviews the application of readily available biomarkers for diagnosis of sepsis, for predicting prognosis, and for antibiotic stewardship. 178 biomarkers are described in the literature - ranging from specimen cultures, which lack sensitivity and specificity for early diagnosis of sepsis, to biomarkers such as C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, and genetic biomarkers, which have their own limitations. Future research will mainly focus on use of more than one biomarker, but the main problem in sepsis biomarker research seems to be a lack of a recommended biomarker.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 269-283 |
Number of pages | 15 |
Journal | Journal of Anesthesia |
Volume | 27 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Apr 2013 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Biomarker
- C-reactive protein
- Procalcitonin
- Sepsis