TY - JOUR AU - Epstein, Shara AU - Lee, Dong Heun AU - Coppock, Dagan AU - Deering, Caytlin PY - 2019 DA - 2019/03/01 TI - Role of Procalcitonin in Management of Infection in Solid Organ Transplantation Recipients: Review JO - OBM Transplantation SP - 054 VL - 03 IS - 01 AB - Infections are a common cause of morbidity and mortality in solid organ transplantation (SOT) recipients. Procalcitonin (PCT) has garnered attention as an inflammatory marker that has been shown to be a valuable marker for early identification of systemic bacterial infection. However, interpretation of PCTs value in the different types of infections, transplanted organs, and post-operative courses can be challenging. We review the role of PCT in the management of infections in SOT recipients. First, the PCT level can be elevated immediately after transplant surgery, but those levels decline over one week and do not rise significantly unless an individual develops a systemic bacterial infection. Second, PCT is elevated in systemic bacterial infection, but not in localized bacterial infections or viral infection. Third, procalcitonin does not rise significantly during episodes of acute rejection, but it can be elevated with the use of antithymoglobulin for induction or rejection treatment. While issues remain with the use of PCT as a predictive, it may provide an important piece of information that guides clinical decision-making. SN - 2577-5820 UR - https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.transplant.1901054 DO - 10.21926/obm.transplant.1901054 ID - Epstein2019 ER -