Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) are a major complication in COPD patients which can be triggered by bacterial or viral infections, environmental pollutants and other causes. Procalcitonin (PCT), a peptide that markedly increases in cases of bacterial infection, has been extensively investigated as a biomarker in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment in patients with AECOPD. A number of studies published in the last decade, tried to investigate whether PCT levels can differentiate between bacterial and other causes of exacerbations, if they can be used as a guide for optimal antibiotic therapy and if they can be a tool in the assessment of the severity and the need for further interventions in the management of those patients. This review aims to gather, summarize and critically present all the available data to date.
Keywords: AECOPD; COPD; COPD exacerbation; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; PCT; Procalcitonin.