%0 Journal Article
%T Procalcitonin interest to assess a septic state inducing the death
%A Nouredine Sadeg
%A Fr¨¦d¨¦ric Tarlier
%A Laurence Veneau
%A Hafid Belhadj-Tahar
%J Forensic Medicine and Anatomy Research
%P 67-69
%@ 2327-4107
%D 2013
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/fmar.2013.14014
%X In this prospective study, we evaluated the use of PCT when collecting the body which was carried out. The chosen cut-off was set at 10 ng/mL because at this level, the PCT was associated to a multiorgan failure attributable to a septic shock.For 90 cases, two groups were stratified by their final diagnosis: 33 of for non violent deaths and 57 of violent deaths. There was no significant elevation of procalcitonin rate (PCT) in the group of violent deaths. We noted 6 elevations of PCT rate above 10 ng/mL for non violent deaths (15.4%) and in 3 cases there wasan evidence for an infectious context (recent anti- infectious treatments, chemotherapy in progress).Control of CRP performed on blood samples found initial elevations above 10 mg/L in 3 of the 6 cases (including 2 of 3 cases associated with an infectious context).
 There is no evidence of PCT rate increase for intermediate PMI (post mortem interval), long PMI and undefined PMI. This study found a PPV (positive predictive value) and clinical specificity of 100% for a cut-off set at 10 ng/mL. By taking this threshold, no significant PCT increase was observed in presence of death cases related to a violent origin as well as a fatal multiorgan failure due to malignant hyperthermia syndrome induced by neuroleptic use. The PCT appears to remain stable over time and whatever the conservation conditions of the body.
%K Procalcitonin
%K Sepsis
%K Biomarker
%K Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=37373