C-reactive protein and procalcitonin are predictors of the severity of acute appendicitis in children.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) on admission as predictors of the severity of appendicitis in children.

Methods: We prospectively studied 111 consecutive patients admitted with a diagnosis of acute appendicitis between July 2009 and February 2010 and recorded the following variables: age, sex, time since diagnosis, laboratory data, complications (abscess, intestinal obstruction), presence of hemodynamic instability, mortality, length of stay, and need for admission to the pediatric intensive care unit. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the diagnosis confirmed during surgery (group 1, appendicitis; group 2, localized or generalized peritonitis).