Characteristics of studies associating PCT non-clearance with mortality.

PCT = procalcitonin; ICU = intensive care unit; SICU = surgical intensive care unit; ED = emergency department; HW = hospital ward; PR = prospective recruitment; CR = consecutive recruitment; RR = retrospective recruitment; RCT = random control trial; MPR = multiple-center prospective recruitment; MRCT = multiple-center random control trial; SEN = sensitivity; SPE = specificity; CI = confidence interval. Characteristics of studies associating PCT non-clearance with mortality.