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Procalcitonin and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children
Bivona Giulia1, Agnello Luisa1, Scazzone Concetta1
1Sezione Biochimica Clinica e Medicina Molecolare, Dipartimento di Biopatologia e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli studi di Palermo, Italy.
Insights
Procalcitonin (PCT) shows promise as a biomarker for pediatric Community-Acquired pneumonia (CAP) management. Further research is needed to fully establish its role in diagnosing and treating childhood CAP.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Biomarkers
Background:
- Procalcitonin (PCT) is a recognized sepsis biomarker in adults, but its utility in neonates is debated.
- Community-Acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a significant cause of childhood mortality and hospitalization globally.
- Identifying effective biomarkers for pediatric CAP is crucial for optimal patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the role of procalcitonin (PCT) in the management of Community-Acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children.
- To assess PCT's effectiveness in differentiating infection types, predicting severity, and guiding antibiotic therapy in pediatric CAP.
- To identify the most suitable inflammatory biomarker for pediatric CAP management.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed and the Cochrane Library.
- Keywords included: Community-Acquired pneumonia (CAP), procalcitonin (PCT), and children.
- Thirteen relevant articles were analyzed to determine PCT's role in pediatric CAP.
Main Results:
- Existing studies suggest procalcitonin (PCT) is increasingly useful in managing pediatric Community-Acquired pneumonia (CAP).
- PCT may aid in distinguishing between bacterial, viral, and unknown causes of CAP in children.
- Evidence indicates PCT's potential in predicting CAP severity and informing antibiotic treatment decisions.
Conclusions:
- While studies increasingly support procalcitonin's (PCT) utility in pediatric CAP management, its definitive role requires further investigation.
- Additional research is necessary to fully elucidate the benefits of PCT for diagnosing and treating childhood CAP.
- PCT shows potential as a valuable biomarker for optimizing CAP care in pediatric populations.
Abstract:
The role of procalcitonin (PCT) as a biomarker for sepsis in adults is well documented, while its role in infections affecting neonatal children remains controversial. Among these infections, Community-Acquired pneumonia (CAP) has been studied extensively, because it's the second cause of death in children in developing countries, and one of the most frequent causes of hospitalization in industrialized countries. The PubMed database and the Cochrane Library were used to search for the following keywords: CAP, procalcitonin, and children. Thirteen articles were studied to determine the role of PCT in CAP management, specifically its usefulness for distinguishing pneumococcal infections from viral and unknown infections, for predicting severity and the correct antibiotic treatment. This paper focuses on the studies performed to identify the best inflammatory biomarker for CAP management. Although there is an increase in studies confirming the usefulness of PCT in CAP management in children, further studies are needed to have better understanding of its role for pediatric CAP management.
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