The use of procalcitonin for the management of sepsis in internal medicine wards: current evidences.

The use of procalcitonin for the management of sepsis in internal medicine wards: current evidences. Panminerva Med. 2019 Nov 11;: Authors: Tosoni A, Paratore M, Piscitelli P, Addolorato G, De Cosmo S, Mirijello A, Internal Medicine Sepsis Study Group Abstract Procalcitonin (PCT) is a circulating polypeptide produced in response to bacterial infections. Studies conducted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) setting have demonstrated its utility as a biomarker of bacterial infection and sepsis. Thus, PCT is widely used to distinguish between sepsis and SIRS, and to guide antibiotic therapy. At present sepsis represents a frequent diagnosis among patients admitted to Internal Medicine (IM) departments. Basing on the knowledge derived from ICU studies, the use of PCT has become routine in non-intensive wards, contributing to improve the management of sepsis. However, some differences between the two populations of patients - the IM being older, affected by multiple chronic comorbidities and lacking of invasive monitoring - could limit the generalizability of ICU results. Most of the studies on PCT conducted in the IM setting have focused on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia and sepsis. Although PCT represents one of the best biomarker available in routine clinical practice, there are uncertainties on the optimal cut-offs to be used for starting or discontinuing antibiotic treatment in patients with suspected bacterial infecti...
Source: Panminerva Medica - Category: General Medicine Tags: Panminerva Med Source Type: research