A study to assess the correlation between procalcitonin values with severity of bacterial community-acquired pneumonia patients admitted in tertiary care hospital,Udupi

This prospective cross sectional study aims to assess the correlation between serum procalcitonin levels and disease severity in patients with bacterial community acquired pneumonia admitted to Kasturba Hospital Manipal from May 2025 to July 2026. A total of 100 adult patients aged 18 years and above with symptom onset within 48 hours of admission and elevated procalcitonin levels greater than 0.5 ng per mL will be enrolled using purposive sampling, excluding those with recent hospitalization, hospital acquired or viral pneumonia. Data will be collected through a structured proforma including demographic details, clinical parameters, inflammatory markers such as CRP, WBC and NLR, radiological findings and outcomes. Disease severity will be assessed using CURB 65 and Pneumonia Severity Index scores, and correlations between procalcitonin levels, inflammatory markers and clinical outcomes such as mortality, ventilator free days and ICU stay will be analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study seeks to determine whether procalcitonin can serve as a reliable biomarker for predicting disease severity and outcomes in community acquired pneumonia, potentially improving patient management, guiding antibiotic therapy and reducing unnecessary antibiotic use. The study involves minimal risk, is self funded with an estimated cost of 13250 INR, and all institutional and ethical approvals will be obtained prior to commencement.