Procalcitonin as a marker of infection. A review from Primary Care

In the last years, procalcitonin has emerged as a marker of invasive bacterial infection. In 1996 the German company Brahms®, put on sale a new inmuno-luminometric technology with a very good precision (Lumitest). Since the year 2000 there is a new quick test PCT-Q by chromatography with a semi quantitative technology, which is possible to be developed in 30 minutes, this test is possible to be practiced in a primary care service, near the patient?s bed or in the emergency service. Because of these new possibilities, our objective is to make a bibliographic revision of the PCT (procalcitononin) determination from a primary care point of view.