Background. Recent trials suggest procalcitonin-based guidelines can reduce antibiotic use
for respiratory infections. However, the accuracy of procalcitonin to discriminate between …

Because of the diverse etiologies of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and the
limitations of current diagnostic modalities, serum procalcitonin levels have been proposed …

Study objectives To evaluate the usefulness of procalcitonin serum levels as a predictor of
etiology and prognosis in adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) when …

Background: The diagnostic value of admission serum levels of procalcitonin (PCT) and C-
reactive protein (CRP) as indicators of the etiology and prognosis was prospectively …

Background The effect of procalcitonin-guided use of antibiotics on treatment for suspected
lower respiratory tract infection is unclear. Methods In 14 US hospitals with high adherence …

Background: Measurement of procalcitonin (PCT) has been studied for several years in
infectious diseases. Some studies have focused on community–acquired pneumonia (CAP) …

Rationale: In patients with community-acquired pneumonia, guidelines recommend
antibiotic treatment for 7 to 21 d. Procalcitonin is elevated in bacterial infections, and its …

Serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels rapidly increase in patients with invasive bacterial disease.
PCT levels increase faster than do C-reactive protein levels. Furthermore, a rapid decrease …

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The Pneumonia Severity Index and CURB-65 predict outcomes in
community-acquired pneumonia but have limitations. Procalcitonin, a biomarker of bacterial …

Clinical features such as cough, sputum production, fever, and the presence of a new lung
infiltrate seen on radiograph are not specific to respiratory tract infection, nor do they define …