Background: Early diagnosis and prompt treatment of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) due to end-stage liver disease is vital to shorten hospital stays and reduce mortality. Many studies have explored the potential usefulness of serum procalcitonin (PCT) in predicting SBP.
Objective: to evaluate the overall diagnostic accuracy of PCT levels for identifying SBP due to end-stage liver disease.
Patients and Methods: A prospective case control study was conducted on 60 post-HCV cirrhotic patients and 20 normal individuals (54 M and 26 F), at internal medicine department, Zagazig General Hospital. Full history, routine, physical examination and special investigations were taking.
Results: The summary estimates for serum PCT in the diagnosis of SBP attributable to end stage liver disease were: sensitivity 95% and specificity 95%. Serum PCT is a relatively sensitive and specific test for the identification of SBP. However, due to the limited high-quality studies available, medical decisions should be carefully made in the context of both PCT test results and other clinical findings including diagnostic paracentesis.
Conclusion: For our study we can concluded that: Serum Procalcitonin level can be used as a diagnostic test for rapid and accurate diagnosis of Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in HCV cirrhotic patients with sensitivity and specificity about 95%.