title: Procalcitonin as a biomarker of acute lower respiratory tract infections.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Procalcitonin (PCT) has emerged as a promising 'acute phase' biomarker used for diagnosis of acute bacterial infections of the respiratory tract. The introduction of new sensitive PCT assays has facilitated implementation of a new clinical approach to reduce antibiotic use in acute lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs), without compromising patient safety.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Current state of knowledge on the clinical usefulness of serum PCT measurements for the evaluation of acute LRTIs is presented herein, together with basic information on available rapid diagnostic tests for PCT measurement.
  
  
  METHODS
  During the literature search the emphasis was on PCT use as a diagnostic, monitoring and prognostic tool for acute LRTIs. The acute LRTIs have been defined as acute bronchitis, acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma, and pneumonia. Original studies involving patients with these conditions have been considered, and recent articles documenting interventional trials on PCT use for guidance of antimicrobial treatment in LRTIs have been reviewed in particular.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When measured with sensitive and rapid assays, PCT has proved to be a good biomarker for acute bacterial LRTIs, which enables an early diagnosis, facilitates therapeutic decisions, and can inform clinicians about the course of disease and prognosis. PCT can become a particularly suitable tool for implementation in an emergency and acute medical care setting.
authors.affiliation: Oddział Nefrologii i Chorób Wewnetrznych, Szpital Powiatowy w Chrzanowie, ul. Topolowa 16, PL 32-500 Chrzanów, Poland +48 32 624 7326, +48 32 624 7777 ; +48 32 623 9428 ; tomaszw@mp.pl.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wróblewski
authors.forename: Czesław
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marcisz