Serum procalcitonin in small bowel obstruction

Q: Procalcitonin is helpful in small bowel obstruction (SBO) to determine conservative vs. surgical approach.

A) True

B) False

Answer: A

There is some weak evidence available that elevated serum procalcitonin levels may be a marker for detecting intestinal strangulation and predicting the need for operative intervention. See a couple of references below.

#surgical-critical-care

References: 

1. Cosse C, Regimbeau JM, Fuks D, et al. Serum procalcitonin for predicting the failure of conservative management and the need for bowel resection in patients with small bowel obstruction. J Am Coll Surg 2013; 216:997.

2. Ayten R, Dogru O, Camci C, et al. Predictive value of procalcitonin for the diagnosis of bowel strangulation. World J Surg 2005; 29:187.