Serum Procalcitonin Level Reflects the Severity of Cellulitis
The following study in the Annals of Dermatology in 2016 shows that measuring Procalcitonin levels in patients with cellulitis can be helpful.
The study results say, “Procalcitonin, WBC, and CRP showed a positive correlation with body temperature. In addition, procalcitonin, WBC, ESR, and CRP showed a positive correlation with the number of hospitalized days
In their conclusion of the abstract, the authors say, “In patients diagnosed with cellulitis, procalcitonin was a helpful parameter to indicate the severity of disease and also a useful predictor of prognosis.”
Another study published in Infectious Diseases in Clinical Practice in 2016 found similar results. In their conclusion, they say, “Procalcitonin correlates with duration of intravenous antibiotic therapy in SSTIs; it may be a valuable adjunct in the initial diagnosis and management of antibiotic therapy in these infections.”
Reference
Noh SH, Park SD, Kim EJ. Serum Procalcitonin Level Reflects the Severity of Cellulitis. Annals of Dermatology. 2016;28(6):704-710. doi:10.5021/ad.2016.28.6.704.
. Utility of Serum Procalcitonin in Skin and Soft Tissue Infections: A Prospective Trial. Infectious Diseases in Clinical Practice: January 2016 – Volume 24 – Issue 1 – p 39–42