Utility of Procalcitonin for Diagnosis of Superimposed Infections in Patients With Acute Heart Failure

Respiratory infections are well-known precipitant factors for heart failure decompensations. Nevertheless, the diagnosis of life-threatening infections, such as pneumonia, is challenging. Pneumonia and acute heart failure often display overlapping clinical findings and, in other cases, more accurate...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inReviews in cardiovascular medicine Vol. 17; no. 3-4; p. 144
Main Authors Mollar, Anna, Miñana, Gema, Villanueva, Maria Pilar, Guijarro, Jorge, Núñez, Julio
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Singapore 01.01.2016
Subjects
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Biomarkers
Calcitonin - analysis
Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide
Heart Failure - complications
Humans
Infections - diagnosis
Infections - drug therapy
Protein Precursors - analysis
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Summary:Respiratory infections are well-known precipitant factors for heart failure decompensations. Nevertheless, the diagnosis of life-threatening infections, such as pneumonia, is challenging. Pneumonia and acute heart failure often display overlapping clinical findings and, in other cases, more accurate infection-related findings are missing. In recent years, procalcitonin has emerged as a promising tool for early and accurate diagnosis of pneumonia and, interestingly, for guiding antibiotic therapy in patients with acute heart failure. We discuss two cases of acute heart failure with high procalcitonin on admission and different clinical outcomes. In this setting, procalcitonin may be a useful tool for guiding antibiotic therapy. Further controlled studies are warranted.
ISSN:1530-6550
DOI:10.3909/ricm0824