Procalcitonina: un marcador de sepsis

Procalcitonin is an acute-phase reactant that may be helpful in differentiating between infectious or non-infectious causes in patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Procalcitonin serum levels increase during severe generalized bacterial, parasitic or fungal infections with systemic manifestation. In severe viral infections, or inflammatory reactions of non-infectious origin, procalcitonin levels do not increase, or only show a moderate rise. Procalcitonin levels increase with the severity of the inflammatory response to infection. Therefore, procalcitonin may serve as an important indicator of the severity and prognosis of infection. It also and allow judgment of the efficacy of therapeutic measures.