Kim SY, Jeong TD, Lee W, Chun S, Min WK Procalcitonin in the assessment of bacteraemia in emergency department patients: results of a large retrospective study. Ann Clin Biochem. 2015 Nov;52(Pt 6):654-9. doi: 10.1177/0004563214568685. Epub 2015 Jan 9.
Lipinska-Gediga M, Mierzchala-Pasierb M, Durek G Procalcitonin kinetics - prognostic and diagnostic significance in septic patients. Arch Med Sci. 2016 Feb 1;12(1):112-9. doi: 10.5114/aoms.2016.57587. Epub 2016 Feb 2.
Liu D, Su LX, Guan W, Xiao K, Xie LX Prognostic value of procalcitonin in pneumonia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Respirology. 2016 Feb;21(2):280-8. doi: 10.1111/resp.12704. Epub 2015 Dec 10. Review.
Meisner M, Tschaikowsky K, Palmaers T, Schmidt J Comparison of procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) plasma concentrations at different SOFA scores during the course of sepsis and MODS. Crit Care. 1999;3(1):45-50.
Park JH, Wee JH, Choi SP, Oh SH The value of procalcitonin level in community-acquired pneumonia in the ED. Am J Emerg Med. 2012 Sep;30(7):1248-54. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2011.08.009. Epub 2011 Oct 24.
Shi Y, Peng JM, Hu XY, Wang Y The utility of initial procalcitonin and procalcitonin clearance for prediction of bacterial infection and outcome in critically ill patients with autoimmune diseases: a prospective observational study. BMC Anesthesiol. 2015 Oct 7;15:137. doi: 10.1186/s12871-015-0122-9.
Wang XJ, Tan TT, Lim ST, Farid M, Tao M, Quek R, Chan A, Tang T Role of Procalcitonin in Differentiating between Infectious and Noninfectious Fevers among Patients with Lymphoma. Pharmacotherapy. 2017 Aug;37(8):908-915. doi: 10.1002/phar.1963. Epub 2017 Jul 18.
Procalcitonin at Zero and 24 Hours as a Prognostic Factor in Patients With Pneumonia
Interventional studies are often prospective and are specifically tailored to evaluate direct impacts of treatment or preventive measures on disease.
Observational studies are often retrospective and are used to assess potential causation in exposure-outcome relationships and therefore influence preventive methods.
Expanded access is a means by which manufacturers make investigational new drugs available, under certain circumstances, to treat a patient(s) with a serious disease or condition who cannot participate in a controlled clinical trial.
Clinical trials are conducted in a series of steps, called phases - each phase is designed to answer a separate research question.
Phase 1: Researchers test a new drug or treatment in a small group of people for the first time to evaluate its safety, determine a safe dosage range, and identify side effects.
Phase 2: The drug or treatment is given to a larger group of people to see if it is effective and to further evaluate its safety.
Phase 3: The drug or treatment is given to large groups of people to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it to commonly used treatments, and collect information that will allow the drug or treatment to be used safely.
Phase 4: Studies are done after the drug or treatment has been marketed to gather information on the drug's effect in various populations and any side effects associated with long-term use.