Procalcitonin for Stewardship in Respiratory Infections A Stewardship Project

Antibiotics are overused in hospitals nationwide, leading to unnecessary drug costs and adverse events. Antibiotic stewardship is now a national and international priority and regulatory authorities are mandating antibiotic stewardship programs in all hospitals. Respiratory infections account for a large percentage of antibiotic overuse. Procalcitonin has been shown to help providers significantly shorten the duration of antibiotic therapy in respiratory infections. As such, this institution seeks to evaluate the impact of PCT-guided antibiotic management on antibiotic use in subjects with acute Lower Respiratory Tract Infection (LRTI) with or without sepsis. Multiple studies have been conducted in Europe and demonstrate the safety of the PCT-guided antibiotic management in pneumonia as well as sepsis. This study will apply PCT-guided therapy to those populations in an all-US study evaluating patient outcomes along with safety and efficacy.