An observational study in Procalcitonin, Infection and Internal Medicine Patients, sponsored by Barzilai Medical Center. Not yet recruiting. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-18.
Sponsored by Barzilai Medical Center · Observational
Procalcitonin is a well-known biomarker used to distinguish between bacterial and viral infections, assess a patient's risk category, and serve as a prognostic indicator. However, existing data are derived primarily from relatively young patients in intensive care units; there is a lack of information regarding the prognostic significance of procalcitonin in older patients hospitalized in internal medicine wards.
Procalcitonin is a biomarker used to distinguish between bacterial and viral infections, as well as to determine a patient's risk category and serve as a prognostic indicator. Furthermore, monitoring procalcitonin levels and analysing their kinetics during hospitalization improves the management of patients with sepsis and informs decision-making regarding antibiotic use. A wide range of studies has evaluated the diagnostic yield of procalcitonin in sepsis patients, demonstrating its superiority over CRP. However, the studies examined intensive care patients, trauma patients, surgical patients, or relatively young patients (mean age 69). There is significant heterogeneity among the studies, and they do not reach a definitive conclusion: some show an association between high procalcitonin levels and mortality, while others indicate that procalcitonin lacks independent prognostic value. Consequently, there is a significant gap in existing knowledge regarding the value of procalcitonin in a "real-life" setting-specifically, among elderly patients (over age 70) hospitalized in internal medicine wards. The investigators will identify all patients who underwent procalcitonin testing from 2020 onwards and were hospitalized in internal medicine or geriatric wards. Subsequently, the investigators will review medical records and extract relevant data regarding their disease course and outcomes.
All patients hospitalized in internal medicine and geriatric wards with a diagnosis of acute infectious disease who underwent procalcitonin testing, starting in 2020.
Exclusion Criteria:
All patients hospitalized in internal medicine and geriatric wards with a diagnosis of acute infectious disease who underwent procalcitonin testing, starting in 2020.
Other: No Interventions
No intervention, retrospective observational study
Mortality
Evaluation of procalcitonin as a prognostic marker in patients hospitalized in the internal medicine and geriatric department by examining mortality during hospitalization, within 7 days and within 30 months.
Time frame: 30 days
Additional Outcomes - Length of stay
Comparison of procalcitonin and CRP as predictors of length of hospital stay
Time frame: 30 days
Additional data - morbidity
need for vasopressors or mechanical ventilation, need for intensive care, need for invasive intervention
Time frame: 30 days
No study locations are listed for this record.
Plan to share: No — IPD will not be shared
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Aug 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Barzilai Medical Center