Review articles
- Biomarkers in sepsis; high procal levels associated with bacterial infections and sepsis: van Engelen et al. Crit Care Clin. 2018;34:139-152.
- Using procalcitonin to guide antibiotics: Rhee. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2016;4(1):ofw249.
Systematic Reviews / Meta-analyses
- Use of procalcitonin to guide antibiotic in patients with resp infections was not associated with higher mortality or treatment failure and antibiotic use was significantly reduced: Schuetz et al. Evid Based Child Health 2013;8(4):1297-1371.
- Meta-analysis: procal to guide antibiotic in respiratory infections is effective in reducing antibiotic use without increase in adverse outcomes: Schuetz et al. Clin Infect Dis 2012;55:651-662.
- Meta-analysis: procalcitonin-based protocols appear to be clinically effective; however, confirmatory trials with rigorous methodology are required: Mathioudakis et al. Eur Respir Rev. 2017;26(143):160073
- Procalcitonin to initiate or discontinue antibiotic in acute resp infection: Schuetz et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;10(10):CD007498.
Trials
- A procalcitonin-guided algorithm for antibiotic use reduced antibiotic use in patients hospitalized with COPD with no worse outcomes: Stolz et al. Chest. 2007 Jan;131(1):9-19.
- ProREAL. use of procal to guide antibiotic in LRTIs reduces antibiotic use without increasing the risk of complications: Albrich et al. Arch Intern Med 2012;172:715-722.
- A procalcitonin-guided algorithm for antibiotic use reduced antibiotic use in patients hospitalized with asthma with no worse outcomes: Long et al. Crit Care. 2014 Sep 5;18(5):471.
- A procalcitonin-guided algorithm for antibiotic use in patients hospitalized with COPD had a trend toward noninferiority but was underpowered and inconclusive: Verduri et al. PLoS One. 2015 Mar 11;10(3):e0118241.
- Antibiotic treatment is no better than placebo in AECOPD with a PCT level <0.1 ng/ml: Wang et al. Int J Infect Dis. 2016 Jul;48:40-5.
- Use of procalcitonin to reduce antibiotic duration in critically ill patients: de Jong et al. Lancet Infect Dis. 2016;16:819-827.
- Procalcitonin guidance in patients with sepsis: Iankova et al. Crit Care Med. 2018;46:691-698.