Procalcitonin as a Tool to Shorten Antibiotic Therapy in the ICU

Clinical Impact of Procalcitonin to Shorten Antimicrobial Therapy in Septic Patients With Proven Bacterial Infection in an Intensive Care Setting

Recently, biomarkers like procalcitonin have been studied in order to help physicians to decrease the duration of the antibiotic therapy. The investigators objective was to assess whether the decrease in procalcitonin levels could be used to reduce the antibiotic therapy in critically ill patients with a proven infection without risking a worse outcome.

Inclusion Criteria:

• all patients admitted in the intensive care unit with sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock with a microbiologically confirmed infection (blood, urine, tracheal aspirate or bronchoalveolar fluid culture)

Exclusion Criteria:

• onset of the antibiotic therapy more than 48 hours before the date when the cultures were performed
• patients less than 18 years old
• known pregnancy
• infections requiring prolonged antibotic therapy such as endocarditis, hepatic or brain abscess, deep abscess, mediastinitis and osteomyelitis
• severe infection caused by virus, parasites, fungi or chronic prostatitis
• negative cultures in patients with suspected sepsis, severe sepsis or septic shock