Serum Procalcitonin on Admission — Of Limited Value for Detecting Bacteremia

Sensitivity for detecting bloodstream infection was 68% and positive predictive value was 23%; procalcitonin levels did not influence empiric antibiotic therapy.

Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are often present at hospital admission and accompanied by sepsis with high morbidity and mortality, especially if the diagnosis is delayed. Serum procalcitonin (PCT) has repeatedly been suggested as a biomarker for rapidly identifying BSIs, but studies on its accuracy have yielded conflicting results. In this retrospective observational study, researchers evaluated the performance of PCT using data from 74,958 patients treated in 65 U.S. hospitals from 2008 through 2017 who underwent both a PCT test and blood cultures on the day of admission (i.e., 10% of all patients with blood cultures alone).

For patients with suspected and confirmed BSI, mortality was 13.4% and 17.0%, respectively. Among those with confirme…

Reviewing Author

Thomas Glück, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsConsilium Infectiorum by InfectoPharm, Infection

Thomas Glück, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsConsilium Infectiorum by InfectoPharm, Infection

Serum Procalcitonin on Admission — Of Limited Value for Detecting Bacteremia

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Reviewing Author