Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2023 Sep 4;12(9):1406.
doi: 10.3390/antibiotics12091406.

Management of Intra-Abdominal Infections: The Role of Procalcitonin

Brian W C A Tian  1 , Vanni Agnoletti  2 , Luca Ansaloni  3 , Federico Coccolini  4 , Francesca Bravi  5 , Massimo Sartelli  6 , Carlo Vallicelli  7 , Fausto Catena  8
Affiliations
Review

Management of Intra-Abdominal Infections: The Role of Procalcitonin

Brian W C A Tian et al. Antibiotics (Basel). .

Abstract

Patients with intra-abdominal sepsis suffer from significant mortality and morbidity. The main pillars of treatment for intra-abdominal infections are (1) source control and (2) early delivery of antibiotics. Antibiotic therapy should be started as soon as possible. However, the duration of antibiotics remains a matter of debate. Prolonged antibiotic delivery can lead to increased microbial resistance and the development of nosocomial infections. There has been much research on biomarkers and their ability to aid the decision on when to stop antibiotics. Some of these biomarkers include interleukins, C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT). PCT's value as a biomarker has been a focus area of research in recent years. Most studies use either a cut-off value of 0.50 ng/mL or an >80% reduction in PCT levels to determine when to stop antibiotics. This paper performs a literature review and provides a synthesized up-to-date global overview on the value of PCT in managing intra-abdominal infections.

Keywords: infection; intra-abdominal; procal; procalcitonin; sepsis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Marshall J.C. Principles of Source Control in the Early Management of Sepsis. Curr. Infect. Dis. Rep. 2010;12:345–353. doi: 10.1007/s11908-010-0126-z. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Grundmann R., Petersen M., Lippert H., Meyer F. Das akute (chirurgische) Abdomen—Epidemiologie, Diagnostik und allgemeine Prinzipien des Managements [The acute (surgical) abdomen—epidemiology, diagnosis and general principles of management] Z. Gastroenterol. 2010;48:696–706. doi: 10.1055/s-0029-1245303. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Schoeffel U., Jacobs E., Ruf G., Mierswa F., Von Specht B.U., Farthmann E.H. Intraperitoneal micro-organisms and the severity of peritonitis. Eur. J. Surg. Acta Chir. 1995;161:501–508. - PubMed
    1. Wacha H., Hau T., Dittmer R., Ohmann C. Risk factors associated with intraabdominal infections: A prospective multicenter study. Langenbeck’s Arch. Surg. 1999;384:24–32. doi: 10.1007/s004230050169. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Mulier S., Penninckx F., Verwaest C., Filez L., Aerts R., Fieuws S., Lauwers P. Factors Affecting Mortality in Generalized Postoperative Peritonitis: Multivariate Analysis in 96 Patients. World J. Surg. 2003;27:379–384. doi: 10.1007/s00268-002-6705-x. - DOI - PubMed