Serum Procalcitonin and Outcomes in Severe Pediatric Pneumonia: A Secondary Analysis of an Observational Multicenter Study

Wong JJM 1 , Yuliarto S 2 , Rujirojampai M 3 , Lee PC 4 , Liu C 5 , Dang H 6 Show all authors , Zhu X 7 , Ong JSM 8 , Efar P 9 , Gan CS 10 , Hui AWF 11 , Wang JQY 10 , Phan PH 12 , Fan L 8 , Choi I 13 , Abbas Q 14 , Samransamruajkit R 3 , Cho HJ 13 , Angurana SK 15 , Xu W 5 , Lee JH 1 , On Behalf Of The Pediatric Acute And Critical Care Medicine Asian Network Paccman

Affiliations 

  • 1 Children's Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pediatric Subspecialties, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
  • 2 Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya Saiful Anwar Hospital, Malang, Indonesia
  • 3 Division of Pediatric Critical Care, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand
  • 4 Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 5 Department of Pediatrics, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
  • 6 International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Department of Pediatric Intensive Care, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
  • 7 Department of Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
  • 8 Division of Paediatric Critical Care, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
  • 9 Division of Pediatric Emergency and Intensive Care, Harapan Kita National Women and Children Health Center, Jakarta, Indonesia
  • 10 Department of Pediatrics, University Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 11 Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR
  • 12 Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, National Children's Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam
  • 13 Department of Pediatrics, Chonnam National University Children's Hospital and Medical School, Gwanju, South Korea
  • 14 Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan
  • 15 Pediatric Intensive Care and Emergency Units, Department of Pediatrics, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc, 2026 Oct 08;15(10).
PMID: 42837301 DOI: 10.1093/jpids/piag108

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Evidence on procalcitonin's (PCT) role in the management of severe pediatric pneumonia is limited. This study aims to determine the association between PCT and severity of illness in children with severe pneumonia.

METHODS: In this secondary analysis of a multicenter study in Asia, peak serum PCT (measured within 5 days) was categorized into four groups (<0.5, 0.5-2.0, 2.0-10.0, and >10.0 ng/mL). The primary outcome was mortality and secondary outcomes were acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), septic shock, and multiorgan dysfunction. Area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) analysis was used to assess the association of peak PCT levels with primary and secondary outcomes.

RESULTS: Of 846 patients, 344 had early PCT data. Mortality increased in groups with higher peak PCT levels [8/162 (4.9%), 3/69 (4.4%), 8/55 (14.6%) vs. 11/58 (19.0%); P = 0.002]. The proportion of patients with ARDS [23/162 (14.2%), 14/69 (20.3%), 10/55 (18.2%) vs. 25/58 (43.1%); P 

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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