[Use of procalcitonin as diagnostic marker in acute gastroenteritis].

Introduction: There is no hematological marker that reliably differentiates between bacterial and nonbacterial acute gastroenteritis (AGE). The objective of this study is to evaluate procalcitonin (PCT) as a marker for bacterial AGE and analyze its relationship with hospital admission.

Patients And Method: A prospective study of children diagnosed with AGE was conducted at the emergency room during a period of seven months, which required blood and stool samples.