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Tag: Procalcitonin

Clinical Conundrum: What is the Utility of Procalcitonin in the ED?

Procalcitonin is a protein that is upregulated during inflammatory states. An elevation in procalcitonin should be specific to bacterial infections. Viral infections should result in decreased procalcitonin levels thus allowing us to differentiate bacterial from viral and help guide antibiotic ...

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Infectious Disease

The ADAPT-Sepsis Trial: Biomarker-Guided Antibiotic Duration for Hospitalized Patients with Suspected Sepsis

Antibiotic stewardship entails delivering the most appropriate antimicrobial therapy for the most appropriate duration of time to help provide the best outcome for patients with sepsis. An unnecessarily extended course of antibiotics leads to adverse effects, greater cost, medication utilization ...

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Infectious Disease

HiTEMP: Procalcitonin-Guided Antibiotic Therapy in the ED

Background: With CMS core measures requiring timely use of antibiotics in patients with fever and suspected sepsis, many patients receive antibiotics up front that may ultimately end up having another non-bacterial etiology as the cause of their fever.  On the one ...

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Infectious Disease

(Dis)Utility of Procalcitonin in Lower Respiratory Tract Infections (ProACT Trial)

Background: The mis- and overuse of antibiotics continues to be a growing problem in medicine; the results of which are increased health-care costs, increased antibiotic resistance and, ultimately, patient harm. Unnecessary antibiotics are particularly prevalent in the treatment of lower ...

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Infectious Disease

Procalcitonin: Useful Test or Useless Pest to Improve Antibiotic Stewardship with Acute Respiratory Infections in the ED?

Background: In patients with an acute respiratory illness (ARI), it is often difficult to determine whether a bacterial infection is the underlying etiology and whether antibiotics are warranted. Excess antibiotic use carries risk of bacterial resistance, medical costs, and adverse drug ...

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Infectious Disease

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