Use of a Procalcitonin-guided Antibiotic Treatment Algorithm in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The utility of procalcitonin testing in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is not known. We sought to determine the impact of a procalcitonin-guided antibiotic treatment algorithm implemented with antibiotic stewardship (AS) guidance vs. usual care on antibiotic use in critically ill children.

Methods

Single center, pragmatic, randomized prospective clinical trial of critically ill children admitted to an ICU setting and started on intravenous antibiotics from February 15, 2018, to April 11, 2019. Patients were assigned on a monthly basis to either the procalcitonin or usual care arm. The procalcitonin arm had procalcitonin testing on hospital days 0, 1, 2, and 4 and stewardship assistance with algorithm result interpretation. Both arms had routine AS audit

SUBMITTER: Katz SE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7954892 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature