Should procalcitonin be measured routinely in acute decompensated heart failure?

To elucidate the prognostic role of procalcitonin (PCT) in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) without clinical signs of infection at admission. Serial measurements of PCT and NT-proBNP were performed in 168 patients, aged 68 ± 10 years with ADHF followed by 3-month outcome evaluation. Cox regression analysis demonstrated significant predictive value of baseline PCT for all-cause death/hospitalization (area under the curve: 0.67; p = 0.013) at 90th day. The patients with persistently elevated PCT or with an increase during the first 72 h of hospitalization had the worst prognosis (p = 0.0002). Baseline and serial in-hospital measurements of PCT have significant prognostic properties for 3-month all-cause mortality/hospitalization in patients with ADHF without clinical signs of infection at admission.