Background: Procalcitonin (PCT) is a new indicator of the systemic response to severe bacterial, parasitic and fungal infections. To evaluate serum PCT concentration in mushroom poisoned patients was the aim of the study.
Serum PCT concentration was measured on admission in twelve mushroom intoxicated patients. Four subjects were poisoned by Amanita phalloides, 4 by Macrolepiota rhacodes, 3 by Russula genus and 1 by Armillariella genus. In Amanita patients serum PCT was determined also during following days as often as the serum samples were available for analysis. Two Amanita intoxicated patients died. PCT results obtained as a routine diagnostic procedure on admission in 21 septic patients and 30 uninfected and not poisoned controls are presented for comparison.
Results: Admission serum PCT level didn’t rise above 0,5 ng/ml both in mushroom group (mean 0,2 ng/ml, range 0,0-0,4 ng/ml) and control group (mean 0,1 ng/ml, range 0,0-0,4 ng/ml). Slight elevation of PCT was observed in one Amanita poisoned patient 9 days after mushroom ingestion,
several hours before he died. Admission PCT level was markedly elevated in all septic patients (mean 36,1 ng/ml, range 1,7-183,9 ng/ml).
Conclusion: Mushroom poisoning doesn’t rise serum PCT level.

Keywords: procalcitonin, Mushroom Poisoning, Amanita phalloides, fulminant hepatic failure