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. 2021 Apr:110:103-107.
doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2021.01.006. Epub 2021 Jan 20.

Evaluation of procalcitonin as a contribution to antimicrobial stewardship in SARS-CoV-2 infection: a retrospective cohort study

E J Williams  1 , L Mair  2 , T I de Silva  3 , D J Green  4 , P House  5 , K Cawthron  6 , C Gillies  5 , J Wigfull  5 , H Parsons  6 , D G Partridge  7
Affiliations

Evaluation of procalcitonin as a contribution to antimicrobial stewardship in SARS-CoV-2 infection: a retrospective cohort study

E J Williams et al. J Hosp Infect. 2021 Apr.

Abstract

It can be a diagnostic challenge to identify patients with coronavirus disease 2019 in whom antibiotics can be safely withheld. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a guideline implemented at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that recommends withholding antibiotics in patients with low serum procalcitonin (PCT), defined as ≤0.25 ng/mL. Results showed reduced antibiotic consumption in patients with PCT ≤0.25 ng/mL with no increase in mortality, alongside a reduction in subsequent carbapenem prescriptions during admission. The results support the effectiveness of this guideline, and further research is recommended to identify the optimal cut-off value for PCT in this setting.

Keywords: Antimicrobial stewardship; Bacterial co-infection; COVID-19; Procalcitonin; SARS-CoV-2; Superadded infection.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Antibiotic consumption as demonstrated by average defined daily dose (DDD, yellow bars) and average meropenem DDD (blue bars) between positive (>0.25 ng/mL) and negative (≤0.25 ng/mL) procalcitonin (PCT) groups, stratified by age.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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