Procalcitonin to guide initiation and duration of antibiotic treatment in acute respiratory infections: an individual patient data meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Procalcitonin algorithms may reduce antibiotic use for acute respiratory tract infections (ARIs). We undertook an individual patient data meta-analysis to assess safety of this approach in different ARI diagnoses and different clinical settings.

Methods

We identified clinical trials in which patients with ARI were assigned to receive antibiotics based on a procalcitonin algorithm or usual care by searching the Cochrane Register, MEDLINE, and EMBASE. Individual patient data from 4221 adults with ARIs in 14 trials were verified and reanalyzed to assess risk of mortality and treatment failure-overall and within different clinical settings and types of ARIs.

Results

Overall, there were 118 deaths in 2085 patients (5.7%) assigned to procalcitonin groups compared

SUBMITTER: Schuetz P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3412690 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature