Table 2.

Patients with PCT <0.1 ng/ml and antibiotic treatment, n = 12 (patients treated with antibiotics prior to admission, patients with critical illnesses or children treated with antibiotics for reasons other than ARI were excluded)

Patient	Pathogen (viral/atypical)	Chest radiograph	CRPa [mg/l]	PCT [ng/ml]	Blood culture	Antibiotic
Female, 1 1/12 years	∅	Pneumonia	6	0.0	–	Ampicillin
Female, 13 9/12 years	∅	Atypical pneumonia	43	0.02	–	Clarithromycin
Female, 2 1/12 years	Rhinovirus, enterovirus, coronavirus	Bronchopneumonia	3	0.02	–	Ampicillin
Male, 7 10/12 years	∅	Pneumonia	20	0.05	Positiveb	Ampicillin
Male, 4 6/12 years	Rhinovirus, M. pneumoniae	Atypical pneumonia	7	0.06	Negative	Erythromycin
Male, 7 9/12 years	Rhinovirus	Bronchopneumonia	25	0.07	–	Ampicillin
Female, 2 years	Rhinovirus	Pneumonia	20	0.07	–	Ampicillin
Female, 5 years	Rhinovirus, enterovirus	Atypical pneumonia	34	0.07	–	Erythromycin
Male, 6 4/12 years	Rhinovirus, C. pneumoniae	Bronchopneumonia	8	0.08	–	Erythromycin/ampicillin
Male, 7 months	RSV, coronavirus	Bronchopneumonia	24	0.08	–	Erythromycin
Female, 6 years	∅	Pneumonia	5	0.08	–	Erythromycin
Male, 4 10/12 years	∅	Bronchopneumonia	6	0.09	Negative	Ampicillin

^aCRP measurement at the same time as PCT measurement

^bPositive for coagulase-negative staphylococci