Ekulweni nokuxhathisa iintsholongwane kunye ne-sepsis, i-biomarker enye itshintsha imithetho yamayeza angxamisekileyo: iProcalcitonin (PCT). Ngaphambili yayilixabiso lelebhu elikhethekileyo, uvavanyo lwe-PCT ngoku lube sisixhobo esiphambili kwiingcali zonyango kwihlabathi liphela.

Amanqanaba e-PCT anyuka kakhulu ngenxa yosulelo lweentsholongwane kodwa ahlala ephantsi ngexesha lezifo zentsholongwane okanye ukudumba komoya. Olu mahluko lubalulekile. Unyaka ngamnye, izigidi zezigulana zifumana amayeza okubulala iintsholongwane angafunekiyo kwi-bronchitis okanye umkhuhlane, nto leyo ekhawulezisa ingxaki yee-superbugs ezinganyangekiyo ngamayeza. “Ngokulinganisa i-PCT, sinokuyimisa ngokuzithemba amayeza okubulala iintsholongwane xa amanqanaba esezantsi,” utshilo uGqr. Emily Hart, ingcali yezifo ezosulelayo. “Oku kugcina izixhobo zethu zokukhusela iintsholongwane.”

Ngaphaya kokunyamekela, i-PCT isindisa ubomi kwi-sepsis. Iimpawu zemveli zinokuba zingacacanga, kodwa ukufundwa kwe-PCT okuphezulu kuqinisekisa uhlaselo lwebhaktheriya oluqhubekayo kwiiyure ngaphambi kokuba iziphumo zenkcubeko yegazi zilungele. Ngayo yonke iyure unyango luyalibaziseka, ukufa kunyuka nge-8%. Uvavanyo lwe-PCT olukhawulezileyo luvumela oogqirha ukuba bahlukanise i-sepsis kwi-inflammation engeyosuleleko ngoko nangoko, okubangela ukhathalelo oluqatha kwabo bayidingayo—kwaye kuthintelwe ukwamkelwa kwi-ICU kwabo bangenayo.

Izibhedlele ezisebenzisa imigaqo yesiqhelo ye-PCT zibike ukwehla okufikelela kwi-40% kwiintsuku zokubulala iintsholongwane kunye nokuhlala ixesha elifutshane kakhulu kwi-ICU. Njengoko iintsholongwane zokuphefumla zasebusika zisanda, uvavanyo luthintela impazamo eqhelekileyo yokunyanga iimpawu zentsholongwane ngamayeza eentsholongwane.

I-Procalcitonin ayilonani nje kuphela; yimephu yendlela yokufumana amayeza achanekileyo. Kwixesha apho yonke i-antibiotic ibalulekile kwaye yonke iminithi kwi-sepsis ibalulekile, uvavanyo lwe-PCT alusekho luphawu lokuzonwabisa—ngumgangatho wonyango.