The American journal of emergency medicine
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Review Meta Analysis
The use of pleural fluid procalcitonin and C-reactive protein in the diagnosis of parapneumonic pleural effusions: a systemic review and meta-analysis.
We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the diagnostic performance of pleural fluid procalcitonin (PCT) or C-reactive protein (CRP) in differentiating parapneumonic effusion in patients with pleural effusion. ⋯ The existing literature suggests that both pleural fluid and serum PCT tests have low sensitivity and specificity for differentiating parapneumonic effusion from other etiologies of pleural effusion. Compared with PCT, serum CRP has higher specificity and a higher positive likelihood ratio, and thus, it has a higher rule-in value than PCT.