P90 Use of procalcitonin to predict morbidity and mortality in COVID-19

P90 Figure 1The association of PCT in COVID-19 and patient morbidity and mortality.[Figure omitted. See PDF]ConclusionsHere, we report the largest single-centre study to date in analysing a UK-based population for procalcitonin in COVID-19. We observed a significant correlation between elevated initial levels of PCT and incidence of ICU admission and mortality within our cohort, thereby demonstrating promise for PCT as an effective prognostic marker. Using a higher cut-off for PCT ≥0.5µg/L increased mortality by almost 50%, but had no effect on morbidity. We suggest that a lower universal cut-off point for PCT should be used for detecting secondary bacterial infections and procalcitonin-guided antimicrobial therapy.ReferencesHu R, et al. International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents 2020;56(2):106051.Vazzana N, et al. Acta Clin Belg. 2020 Sep 23:1–5.