Hospital Procalcitonin Testing and Antibiotic Treatment of Patients Admitted for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Exacerbation.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Randomized trials suggest that assessment of serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels can be used to safely limit antibiotic use among patients hospitalized for exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Objectives

To determine the impact of PCT testing on antibiotic treatment of patients hospitalized for exacerbations of COPD in routine practice.

Methods

We conducted a series of cross-sectional and longitudinal multivariable analyses using data from 2009 to 2011 and 2013 to 2014 from a sample of 505 U.S. hospitals.

Results

Of 203,177 patients hospitalized for COPD exacerbation in 2013 to 2014, nearly 9 out of 10 were treated with antibiotics. Hospital PCT testing rates ranged from 0 to 83%. In cross-sectional analysis, there was a weak ne

SUBMITTER: Lindenauer PK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5711260 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature