Is Procalcitonin Monitoring of Value in Lower Respiratory Tract Infection?

In a large Veterans Administration analysis, procalcitonin testing did not reduce the number of days on antibiotics.

In randomized trials involving patients with lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), tracking procalcitonin levels reduced the likelihood of antibiotic exposure — however, real-world experience is lacking. For a retrospective cohort study at 81 Veterans Administration (VA) medical centers with on-site procalcitonin testing from 2018 through 2021, investigators queried the VA Corporate Data Warehouse to ascertain whether procalcitonin monitoring reduced the duration of antibiotic use among hospitalized patients with presumed LRTI. Patients who underwent procalcitonin testing were propensity matched to those not tested.

Among 35,610 eligible LRTI episodes, 6015 (17%) included at least one procalcitonin test 48 hours after initiating the anti…

Reviewing Author

Neil M. Ampel, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Neil M. Ampel, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Is Procalcitonin Monitoring of Value in Lower Respiratory Tract Infection?

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Reviewing Author