The Role of Biomarkers in the Diagnosis and Management of Pneumonia

The use of various biomarkers in the management of pneumonia patients can help identify those patients who should be admitted to the hospital, cared for in the ICU, and may help with decisions related to duration of antibiotic therapy and/or patient prognosis. At this time, there is not a biomarker that on its own will establish a diagnosis of pneumonia. Current US standard of care supports the decision on initiation of antibiotic therapy and the type of antibiotic therapy based on guidelines and a clinical assessment of the patient, which is typically aided by severity guidelines with or without the use of additional biomarkers. As more sensitive and specific biomarkers are found and greater experience is obtained with the use of biomarkers, there may be an expanded use for biomarkers in the diagnosis, management, and treatment of pneumonia in the future.