Clinical outcomes associated with procalcitonin algorithms to guide antibiotic therapy in respiratory tract infections.

CLINICAL QUESTION: In patients with respiratory tract infection, is measurement of procalcitonin to guide antibiotic prescriptions associated with reduced antibiotic exposure without increases in all-cause mortality or treatment failure?

BOTTOM LINE: The measurement of procalcitonin to guide initiation and duration of antibiotic treatment in patients with respiratory tract infections of varying severity is associated with lower antibiotic exposure without increasing all-cause mortality or treatment failure.