Clinical QuickieInfectious Disease
Procalcitonin
Procalcitonin modifies probability; it does not replace the patient.
It is not a universal infection test
Procalcitonin can support selected bacterial-infection decisions, but performance varies by syndrome and timing.
A low value does not rule out every bacterial infection
Localized infection, early disease and immunologic factors can produce misleadingly low results.
A high value is not automatically bacterial sepsis
Major surgery, trauma, burns and other inflammatory states can elevate procalcitonin.
Use trend only when it changes management
Serial values may help in selected antimicrobial de-escalation pathways, but they should not override clear clinical evidence.
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