The purposes of this study are:

1. To determine whether procalcitonin level at admission of pediatric patients with bacterial infections can be used as a marker for prediction of defervescence and hospitalization length
2. To examine the kinetics of procalcitonin in pediatric patients with bacterial infections and persistent fever

Inclusion Criteria:

• Positive blood, urine, synovial, bone, pleural effusion, abscess or CSF culture
• Cellulitis, lobar pneumonia, osteomyelitis,

hospitalized patients at date of admission