Abstract: Abstract: Objective　To evaluate the diagnostic value of procalcitonin (PCT) in patients with abdominal infection after abdominal tumor operation. Methods　Eighty-eight patients who were transferred to intensive care unit (ICU) after abdominal tumor surgery were selected. The patients were divided into infection group (n=48) and control group (n=40) according to whether they had abdominal infection. When the patients were transferred to ICU and treated for 24 h, 48 h and 72 h, PCT, white blood cell count (WBC) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were detected by electrochemiluminescence, flow cytometry and immunoturbidimetric assay. Receiver operating curve (ROC) was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of PCT, WBC and CRP in abdominal infection. Results　The PCT levels were the highest at 24 h after treatment in the two groups, and decreased gradually at 48 h and 72 h after treatment (P＜0.05). The WBC level was the highest at 24 h after treatment in infection group, and gradually decreased at 48 h and 72 h after treatment (P＜0.05), while WBC showed a continuous downward trend in control group (P＜0.05). The CRP level increased gradually at 24 h and 48 h after treatment in both groups, and decreased 72 h after treatment (P＜0.05). The values of PCT, CRP and WBC were higher in the infection group than those in the control group (P＜0.05). ROC curves showed that the areas under the curves of PCT, WBC and CRP were 0.696 (95%CI: 0.585-0.808), 0.538 (95%CI: 0.416-0.660) and 0.572 (95%CI: 0.452-0.691), respectively. The diagnostic value of PCT was better for postoperative abdominal infection than that of WBC and CRP. Conclusion　PCT can be used as one of the auxiliary diagnostic indexes of abdominal infection in patients with abdominal tumor after operation.

Key words: calcitonin, intraabdominal infections, postoperative complications, C-reactive protein, white blood cell, ROC curve, procalcitonin