SummaryBecause of the early diagnosis and treatment of bacterial infection markedly improves the outcome the use of nonspecific screening tests for assesment of the potentially infected patient are often employed Inflammatory markers currently in use such as leucocyte count C reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate do not reliably differentiate between bacterial and viral infection The ability to screen for bacterial infection has been evolving over time Procalcitonin is a newer marker of bacterial infections The use of procalcitonin test in the assesment of the potentially infected patient will be briefly reviewed in this paaper Key words: procalcitonin C reactive protein bacterial infection viral infection

Because of the early diagnosis and treatment of bacterial infection markedly improves the outcome the use of nonspecific screening tests for assesment of the potentially infected patient are often employed Inflammatory markers currently in use such as leucocyte count C reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate do not reliably differentiate between bacterial and viral infection The ability to screen for bacterial infection has been evolving over time Procalcitonin is a newer marker of bacterial infections The use of procalcitonin test in the assesment of the potentially infected patient will be briefly reviewed in this paaper Key words: procalcitonin C reactive protein bacterial infection viral infection