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- Title
Use of procalcitonin for antibiotic stewardship in patients with COVID-19: A quality improvement project in a district general hospital.
- Authors
Peters, Christina; Williams, Kelly; Un, Elena A.; Little, Louisa; Saad, Abeer; Lendrum, Katherine; Thompson, Naomi; Weatherley, Nicholas D.; Pegden, Amanda
- Abstract
Antibiotic stewardship during the COVID-19 pandemic is an important part of a comprehensive strategy to improve patient outcomes and reduce long-term adverse effects secondary to rising antibiotic resistance. This report describes a quality improvement project which incorporates the use of procalcitonin (PCT) testing to rationalise antibiotic prescribing in patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 at Chesterfield Royal Hospital. Data were collected from 118 patients with a total of 127 PCT levels checked over a period of 20 days. Each PCT level was correlated with the subsequent antibiotic outcome as well as the result of the COVID-19 PCR swab. Results indicate that antibiotics were either never started or were stopped within 48 hours in 72% of COVID-confirmed cases with a PCT less than 0.25 μg/L. Our findings suggest that procalcitonin testing, when used in combination with thorough clinical assessment, is a safe, simple and sustainable way of reducing antibiotic use in COVID-19.
- Subjects
ANTI-infective agents; CALCITONIN; DRUG resistance in microorganisms; POLYMERASE chain reaction; PUBLIC hospitals; QUALITY assurance; TREATMENT effectiveness; COVID-19; ANTIMICROBIAL stewardship
- Publication
Clinical Medicine, 2021, Vol 21, Issue 1, pe71
- ISSN
1470-2118
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.7861/clinmed.2020-0614