Evelien de Jong, Jos A van Oers, Albertus Beishuizen, Piet Vos, Wytze J Vermeijden, Lenneke E Haas, Bert G Loef, Tom Dormans, Gertrude C van Melsen, Yvette C Kluiters, Hans Kemperman, Maarten J van den Elsen, Jeroen A Schouten, Jörn O Streefkerk, Hans G Krabbe, Hans Kieft, Georg H Kluge, Veerle C van Dam, Joost van Pelt, Laura Bormans, Martine Bokelman Otten, Auke C Reidinga, Henrik Endeman, Jos W Twisk, Ewoudt M W van de Garde, Anne Marie G A de Smet, Jozef Kesecioglu, Armand R Girbes, Maarten W Nijsten, Dylan W de Lange
BACKGROUND: In critically ill patients, antibiotic therapy is of great importance but long duration of treatment is associated with the development of antimicrobial resistance. Procalcitonin is a marker used to guide antibacterial therapy and reduce its duration, but data about safety of this reduction are scarce. We assessed the efficacy and safety of procalcitonin-guided antibiotic treatment in patients in intensive care units (ICUs) in a health-care system with a comparatively low use of antibiotics...
July 2016: Lancet Infectious Diseases