Background and study aim: Any delay in diagnosis and treatment of sepsis may lead to significant organ failure and can be associated with elevated mortality rates. The aim of the study is to evaluate the diagnostic role of serum zinc as a marker for the detection of sepsis in critically ill patients.
Patients and Methods: The current study enrolled 60 patients who were admitted to the critical care unit. Those patients were subdivided into two groups each group enrolled 30 patients either with sepsis or without sepsis. All patients were subjected to thorough history taking and clinical evaluation. In addition to, C-reactive protein, ferritin, and zinc were also, done and blood culture.
Results: Patients with sepsis had significantly higher mean age (58.34 ± 14.69 vs. 46.75 ± 14.83 (years), C-reactive protein (112.93 ± 79.67 vs. 14.86 ± 5.19 (mg/dl)) and ferritin (1231.17 ± 176.11 vs. 123.96 ± 87.82 (mcg/l)) with significantly lower serum albumin (31.01 ± 0.22 vs. 35.67 ± 1.10 (g/dl)) and serum zinc (31.45 ± 6.78 vs.75.55 ± 12.45 (µg/dl). For the prediction of sepsis in critically ill patients; serum zinc at cutoff < 28.90 µg/dl, had the best diagnostic accuracy (88%).
Conclusion: Routine determination of serum zinc may improve the management of critically ill patients at critical care unit. It had higher accuracy in the prediction of sepsis in such patients in comparison to ferritin and C-reactive protein. Further multicenter studies are needed to confirm the current results.