Procalcitonin-informed decision-making in abdominal and emergency surgery

Background

Procalcitonin (PCT) may support decision-making in abdominal and emergency surgery when infection is difficult to distinguish from non-infectious inflammation. Its interpretation remains challenging because clinical settings, sampling schedules, and proposed thresholds vary. This WSES position paper examines the evidence across six clinical scenarios to provide a practical framework for PCT-informed decision-making.