Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-23-2025
Abstract
Procalcitonin (PCT) is frequently used by clinicians in children with suspected bacterial infections and sepsis. However interpretation in the critically ill child may be challenging due to the complexity of underlying conditions and its impact on PCT values. Herein, we propose a guidance for the use of procalcitonin in critically ill children, supported by a comprehensive analysis of the literature, to help the clinician for interpreting PCT in the various clinical conditions encountered in pediatric intensive care units. We describe the importance of the clinical context, timing of measurement and evidence on PCT values in diagnosing sepsis and to guide antibiotic therapy in critically ill children.
Recommended Citation
Tissières, Pierre; Esteban Torné, Elisabeth; Hübner, Johannes; Randolph, Adrienne; Rey Galán, Corsino; and Weiss, Scott, "Use of Procalcitonin in Therapeutic Decisions in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit" (2025). Department of Medicine Faculty Papers. Paper 488.
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/medfp/488
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
PubMed ID
40268774
Language
English
Included in
Bacterial Infections and Mycoses Commons, Critical Care Commons, Diagnosis Commons, Pediatrics Commons
Comments
This article is the author's final published version in Annals of Intensive Care, Volume 15, Issue 1, 2025, Article number 55.
The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s13613-025-01470-y
Copyright © The Author(s) 2025