Serum Procalcitonin Shows Promise but Limited Sensitivity for Diagnosing Pediatric Osteomyelitis: Study
Researchers believe that serum procalcitonin (PCT) may turn out to be a helpful biomarker in the diagnosis of pediatric osteomyelitis, even when its sensitivity is low. A recent study by Han Qi and colleagues has tried to determine the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive utility of PCT for the diagnosis of osteomyelitis in children through systematic review with meta-analysis of relevant literature. This study was published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders.
An elaborate computer-based search was undertaken for studies that considered PCT for the diagnosis of pediatric osteomyelitis. Accordingly, records were screened and selected according to PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analysis. Review Manager software 5.3, Meta-disc software 1.4, STATA 12.0, and R 3.4 software were used for statistical analyses.
Key Findings
• A total of five studies were included in the analysis, encompassing 148 children diagnosed with osteomyelitis who were tested for bacterial cultures in PCT.
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