Procalcitonin as a predictor of prognosis in patients with bacteremia admitted to the intensive care unit

Background

The study aimed to determine the association between procalcitonin levels and clinical outcomes in patients with bacteremia admitted to the intensive care unit and to compare procalcitonin levels between community-acquired and hospital-acquired bacteremia. Material and Methods: A prospective observational longitudinal study was conducted from 1st September 2025 to 28th February 2026 in the adult intensive care units of Mem on Medical Institute Hospital, Karachi. Using consecutive sampling, a total of 199 adult patients with proven bacteremia were enrolled. The Roche Cobas e411 ECLIA platform was used to measure procalcitonin levels at admission, day 5, and day 10. Hospital mortality was the primary outcome. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.