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pubmed:abstractText |
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common respiratory disorder in children, which necessitates hospitalization. Bacterial pneumonia, especially lobar pneumonia and parapneumonic effusions, is associated with considerably severe clinical course and extensive alveolar infiltrates. Serum procalcitonin (PCT) level has been used to distinguish bacterial from viral infections, but its usefulness is disputed. The diagnostic accuracy and usefulness of PCT, C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and white blood cell (WBC) count were determined by comparing their values in the patients with CAP with those in healthy controls.
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