Pentraxin 3 levels from bronchoalveolar lavage of critically ill patients predict lung infection

Timely diagnosis of lung infection in critically ill patients is key to guide therapy and avoid futile antibiotic prescription. The gold standard for diagnosis is microbiological culture of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALf). However, it takes up to 48 hours to disclose results. Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is an acute phase mediator of infection that can be assayed in a few hours. We described a relationship between BALf PTX3 presence and lung infection in acute respiratory distress syndrome patients. The aim of this study was to validate BALf PTX3 as an early marker of lung infection in critically ill patients.