Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet thangphaet
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Severe sepsis, septic shock and bacteremia are critical illnesses, and patients with these conditions require close monitoring and immediate medical treatment. Any delay in diagnosis may lead to an increase in mortality in such critically ill patients. Serum procalcitonin (PCT) has emerged as a highly accurate biomarker for differentiating sepsis from other non-infectious triggers. ⋯ PCT can be usefully employed as a promising chemical biomarker to differentiate the severity of infections in critically ill patients. Used together with clinical data, the PCT value of ≥ 2 ng/dL is efficient in categorizing such patients as having severe sepsis, septic shock or bacteremia.