Procalcitonin as a marker of bacterial versus viral meningitis in children

Serum procalcitonin (PCT) which has been found to be associated with severe bacterial infection and sepsis was examined on admission to the hospital in 59 children (age, 1 month - 13 years) with meningitis due to viral or bacterial infection. Eighty children with acute bacterial meningitis had elevated PCT levels (mean 54.5 ug/L, range 4.8-110), In 41 children with proved acute viral meningitis, PCT was undetectable or only slightly increased (mean 0.32 mu g/L, range 0-1.7). These data suggest that procalcitonin might be of value to differentiate bacterial and viral meningitis and thus to be help with the decision to initiate antibiotic therapy.