Comparative assessment of total WBC and C-reactive protein counts to procalcitonin levels in subjects having maxillofacial space infection.

Orofacial space infections pose life-threatening risks requiring urgent intervention, but trismus/swelling hinders diagnosis. WBC/CRP count help monitors infection. However, PCT (Procalcitonin) offers superior bacterial specificity. Therefore, it is of interest to compare PCT, CRP and WBC levels at admission, 48 h and 96 h in 40 adults with maxillofacial space infections. PCT levels declined significantly earlier (p < 0.05 at admission-to-48h and 48h-to-96h) than CRP/WBC, correlating with clinical improvement and antibiotic response. PCT's rapid normalization outperformed traditional markers in reflecting treatment efficacy amid diagnostic challenges. Thus, we document PCT as a precise biomarker for guiding antibiotic therapy and prognostication in maxillofacial infections.