Table 5 Comparison of serum procalcitonin level (at different cut-offs) between non-severe pneumonia (n = 211) and severe pneumonia (n = 101) (as per WHO criteria)
From: Role of procalcitonin in diagnosis of community acquired pneumonia in Children
| Â | Pneumonia (non-severe) | Severe pneumonia | p |
|---|---|---|---|
PCT level > 0.25 ng/ml | |||
  + ve | 60 (28.4) | 38 (37.6) | 0.1 |
 -ve | 151 (71.6) | 63 (62.4) |  |
PCT level > 0.5 ng/mL | |||
  + ve, n = 73 | 42 (19.9) | 31 (30.7) | 0.03 |
 -ve, n = 239 | 169 (80.1) | 70 (69.3) | |
PCT level > 1 ng/ml | |||
  + ve | 30 (14.2) | 24 (23.8) | 0.03 |
 -ve | 181 (85.8) | 77 (76.2) | |
PCT level > 2 ng/ml | |||
  + ve | 21 (9.9) | 19 (18.8) | 0.02 |
 -ve | 190 (90.1) | 82 (81.2) | |
PCT level > 3 ng/ml | |||
  + ve | 18 (8.5) | 17 (16.8) | 0.03 |
 -ve | 193 (91.5) | 84 (83.2) | |