Clarifying Procalcitonin's Influence on Antimicrobial Use for Respiratory Tract Infections

Inconsistency continues to surround the role of procalcitonin in guiding antibiotic prescribing.

With the realization that treating community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) for 2 weeks is largely unnecessary, attention has been aimed at improving antimicrobial stewardship as guided by procalcitonin (PCT) testing. PCT measurement can be used to discriminate between bacterial CAP (CABP) and viral respiratory infections — and declining PCT levels can help guide decisions about discontinuing antibiotic therapy. Nonetheless, clinical trials of PCT for streamlining the management of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) have yielded inconsistent results. Now, investigators at a single medical center in Ireland randomized patients with RTIs to received either PCT-guided or standard (control) antimicrobial therapy. The PCT algorithm for whether or not…

Reviewing Author

George Sakoulas, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardParatek Pharmaceuticals; Nestle Corp.; AbbVie; Shionogi

Speaker’s BureauAllergan/AbbVie; Paratek Pharmaceuticals; Nestle Corp.

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsAntimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy; Open Forum Infectious Diseases

George Sakoulas, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardParatek Pharmaceuticals; Nestle Corp.; AbbVie; Shionogi

Speaker’s BureauAllergan/AbbVie; Paratek Pharmaceuticals; Nestle Corp.

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsAntimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy; Open Forum Infectious Diseases

Clarifying Procalcitonin's Influence on Antimicrobial Use for Respiratory Tract Infections

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Reviewing Author