Procalcitonin (PCT) is a well-known prognostic marker after elective cardiac surgery. However, the impact of elevated PCT in patients with an initially uneventful postoperative course is still unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate PCT levels as a prognostic tool for delayed complications after elective cardiac surgery.A prospective study was performed in 751 patients with an apparently uneventful postoperative course within the first 24 h after elective cardiac surgery. Serum PCT concentration was taken the morning after surgery. All patients were screened for the occurrence of delayed complications. Delayed complications were defined by in-hospital death, intensive care unit readmission, or prolonged length of hospital stay (>12 days). Odds ratios (OR) [with 95

作者：Matthias, Klingele；Hagen, Bomberg；Simone, Schuster；Hans-Joachim, Sch?fers；Heinrich Volker, Groesdonk

来源：Annals of intensive care 2016 年 6卷 1期