PRO: Procalcitonin Has Clinical Utility in Children with Community-acquired Pneumonia

Overview

Journal JAC Antimicrob Resist

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Infectious Diseases

Date 2022 Oct 24

PMID 36275888

Authors

Todd A Florin

Derek J Williams

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Procalcitonin (PCT) is a useful, albeit imperfect, diagnostic aid that can help clinicians make more informed decisions around antibiotic use in children with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), including community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Recent data suggest that a very low PCT concentration has a high negative predictive value to identify a population of children at low risk of typical bacterial infections. Although the preponderance of data on the clinical utility of PCT in LRTI come from adult studies, the potential for benefit is likely greatest in paediatric CAP and other LRTIs where viral aetiologies predominate, yet antibiotics are frequently prescribed.

Citing Articles

Does procalcitonin have clinical utility in the management of paediatric community-acquired pneumonia? A PRO/CON debate.

Chiotos K, Gerber J JAC Antimicrob Resist. 2021; 3(4):dlab153.

PMID: 34704033 PMC: 8531865. DOI: 10.1093/jacamr/dlab153.

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