Prognostic importance of serum presepsin level in pneumonia focal sepsis and its relationship with other biomarkers and clinical severity scores

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the prognostic value of serum presepsin value in community-acquired pneumonia focal sepsis using sepsis-3 criteria and its relationship with other biomarkers and clinical severity scores. METHODS: For this prospective observational study, 176 patients above 18 years old, diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia, pneumonia focal sepsis and septic shock were included. It was performed in a tertiary hospital between May 2020 and December 2020. Blood samples were obtained from patients for presepsin levels at the time of diagnosis in the emergency room. The serum presepsin levels of 3 groups were statistically compared with each other. RESULTS: The sepsis group had significantly higher serum presepsin levels than the pneumonia group (p=0.004). The septic shock group had serum presepsin levels than sepsis group; however, the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.25). Non survivor patients had significantly higher serum presepsin levels than survivors (p=0.001). Significant correlation determined between serum presepsin level and procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, lactate, pneumonia severity index, and quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA). CONCLUSION: Serum presepsin level is a new biomarker that can be used an indicator of sepsis and mortality in community-acquired pneumonia. However, for determining the prognosis of sepsis, there was no superiority detected over other biomarkers and clinical severity scores.