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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2013 May 20;10(7):903-7.
doi: 10.7150/ijms.4972. Print 2013.

Procalcitonin-guided antibiotic use in acute exacerbations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Juanjuan Ding  1 , Zhuochang Chen, Keqing Feng
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Procalcitonin-guided antibiotic use in acute exacerbations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Juanjuan Ding et al. Int J Med Sci. .

Abstract

Object: To assess the clinical value of procalcitonin to guide antibiotic therapy in acute exacerbations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Methods: Patients with acute exacerbations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis were randomly assigned to the procalcitonin-guided group (antibiotic use guided by a procalcitonin threshold of 0.25 ng/ml) or the routine treatment group (antibiotic use according to routine practice). Follow up of clinical outcomes were assessed at baseline and 30 days later.

Results: Baseline characteristics including demographics, clinical characteristics and laboratory results were similar between groups. PCT guidance resulted in a significant reduction of antibiotic treatment duration (8.7 ± 6.6 compared to 14.2 ± 5.2 days in the routine treatment group). Fewer patients were exposed to antibiotics treatment in the PCT group (26 patients) compared with the control group (35 patients). Treatment success, mortality rate, days of hospitalization and ventilation therapy were similar between the two groups.

Conclusion: Procalcitonin-guided antibiotic therapy of patients with acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis may result in reduced exposure to antibiotics without adversely affecting patient outcomes.

Keywords: acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (AE-IPF).; antibiotic use; procalcitonin.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart showing enrollment of patients with AE-IPF.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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