Biomarkers in the ICU: less is more? Not sure

Excerpt

In the twenty-first century, there is still no gold-standard test to diagnose infection [1] and it relies on a combination of unspecific systemic signs, signs of organ involvement, and microbiologic documentation [2]. Since these clinical signs lack accuracy and microbiologic results are unavailable early in clinical course, antibiotics are frequently prescribed without a definite diagnosis of infection [3]. These limitations led clinicians to search for biomarkers that could be used as surrogate markers of infection [4, 5]. From the hundreds of biomarkers that were studied, only two, C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT), are present in our daily practice. Despite frequent, routine use is not backed by undisputable evidence. …