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Review
. 2021 Apr 1;34(2):126-134.
doi: 10.1097/QCO.0000000000000707.

Biomarkers in sepsis: can they help improve patient outcome?

Evdoxia Kyriazopoulou  1 , Garyfallia Poulakou  2 , Evangelos J Giamarellos-Bourboulis  1
Affiliations
Review

Biomarkers in sepsis: can they help improve patient outcome?

Evdoxia Kyriazopoulou et al. Curr Opin Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Purpose of review: Biomarkers, mainly procalcitonin, are commonly used in sepsis diagnosis, prognosis and treatment follow-up. This review summarizes the potential benefit of their use for the critically ill.

Recent findings: Increased clinical evidence from randomized clinical trials of biomarker-guided treatment suggests a trend for appropriate but short antimicrobial treatment for the critically ill. Procalcitonin (PCT) is the most studied biomarker; in the majority of randomized clinical trials, the use of a stopping rule of antibiotics on the day when PCT is below 80% from baseline or less than 0.5 ng/ml was proven effective to reduce length of antimicrobial treatment, antibiotic-associated adverse events and infectious complications like infections by multidrug-resistant organisms and Clostridium difficile. Survival benefit was also noted.

Summary: Biomarkers, mainly PCT, may help improve sepsis outcome by restriction of injudicious antimicrobial use.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03714841 NCT03717350.

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References

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