Use of Procalcitonin, a Blood Test to Guide Antibiotic Therapy for Sepsis in Adults

Inclusion Criteria: * Participant, legally authorised person/ legal guardian willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the trial. * Male or Female, aged 16 to 65 years * Suspected or proven bacterial infection * A positive sepsis screening National Early Warning Score (NEWS) equal or greater than 5 (Table 1 or at least one criterion with a score of 3. * Intention to start parenteral antibiotic therapy * Within 24 hours of hospital admission Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with suspected/documented tuberculosis, parasitic infection (including malaria or visceral leishmaniasis), or viral infections (i.e., COVID-19, dengue, HIV) * Pregnancy * Intended for a short stay in ICU or general ward (such as post-operative) * Patients requiring a predefined long course of antibiotic therapy (such as endocarditis, osteomyelitis, lung abscess, liver abscess, septic arthritis) * Immunocompromised patients, including as severe neutropenia (\< 500 cells/ml), transplant recipients, on prolonged corticosteroid treatment, chemotherapy or disease modifying immunomodulatory medications * More than 48 hours of parenteral antibiotic use * Surgical patients, including patients with a surgical septic source or patients requiring source control, i.e. abscess drainage * Moribund patients or patients receiving end of life care * Previous enrolment in PROCALBAN * Conditions accompanied with a systemic inflammatory state, including pancreatitis, cardiogenic shock, severe trauma