CRP and systemic inflammatory response syndrome: Table 3 summarizes the course of biomarker level in the 19 patients with new onset of SIRS plus a PCT peak. Median PCT level at PCTbefore was 0.46 ng/ml, increased markedly on PCTpeak to 4.43 ng/ml and subsequently returned to nearly baseline values at PCTlow. ASM showed no statistical significant differences between these three time points. Also, there was no difference in ASM in these patients between ICU admission and PCTbefore (P = 0.8995). There were no significant changes in CRP, lactate levels and severity of illness measures (table 3).