Advance in sepsis management has increased the survival of patients with sepsis. However, severe sepsis and septic shock patients still have high mortality. the authors intend to verify the use of the procalcitonin (PCT) level as a prognosis marker in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock. 141 patients with sepsis (98 patients), severe sepsis (26 patients) and septic shock (17 patients) were enrolled in the study. The authors used mortality in Intensive Care Unit days as a prognosis index, and compared the PCT level in survivors with nonsurvivors
sepsis with severe sepsis and septic shock. The authors used the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) to assess the severity of the patients and analyzed whether or not the PCT level correlated with the severity index. Results: The PCT level in septic shock patients (8,1 + or - 4,5 ng/ml) was not difference from severe sepsis patients (6,2 + or - 3,1 ngjml) (p 0,05). However, The PCT level in septic shock and severe sepsis patients was higher than that in sepsis patients (p0,05). There was no significant PCT level difference between survivors and nonsurvivors (p0,05). PCT as a prognosis marker progression of sepsis, but using the PCT level as a prognosis factor in severe sepsis and septic shock patients has little value.