RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 How to useā€¦ Procalcitonin JF Archives of disease in childhood - Education & practice edition JO Arch Dis Child Educ Pract Ed FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health SP edpract-2017-313699 DO 10.1136/archdischild-2017-313699 A1 Philip Robinson A1 Surjo Kiran De YR 2018 UL http://ep.bmj.com/content/early/2018/01/17/archdischild-2017-313699.abstract AB Diagnosing bacterial infection in the unwell or febrile child is a common challenge faced by all paediatricians. Despite the advent of novel molecular techniques, there is ongoing need for diagnostic assays with adequate performance and turnaround time to facilitate safe clinical decision-making when bacterial sepsis is suspected, such as whether to commence empirical treatment with antibiotics. Procalcitonin is an established marker of infection that has a potential role in the diagnosis and exclusion of serious or invasive bacterial infection in neonates and children. Although enthusiastically adopted in many countries and institutions, national guidance in the UK does not yet support its routine use. This article reviews the relevant literature on the use of procalcitonin measurement in common paediatric clinical scenarios.