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Kwa ALH, Aninda Sidharta BR, Son DN, Zirpe K, Periyasamy P, Plongla R, Swaminathan S, Loho T, Van Giap V, Apisarnthanarak A. Clinical utility of procalcitonin in implementation of procalcitonin-guided antibiotic stewardship in the South-East Asia and India: evidence and consensus-based recommendations. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2024; 22:45-58. [PMID: 38112181 DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2023.2296066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The South-East Asian (SEA) region and India are highly susceptible to antibiotic resistance, which is caused due to lack of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) knowledge, uncontrolled use of antibiotics, and poor infection control. Nonadherence to national/local guidelines, developed to combat antimicrobial resistance, is a major concern. A virtual advisory board was conducted to understand the current AMS standards and challenges in its implementation in these regions. AREAS COVERED Procalcitonin (PCT)-guided antibiotic use was discussed in various clinical conditions across initiation, management, and discontinuation stages. Most experts strongly recommended using PCT-driven antibiotic therapy among patients with lower respiratory tract infections, sepsis, and COVID-19. However, additional research is required to understand the optimal use of PCT in patients with organ transplantation and cancer patients with febrile neutropenia. Implementation of the solutions discussed in this review can help improve PCT utilization in guiding AMS in these regions and reducing challenges. EXPERT OPINION Experts strongly support the inclusion of PCT in AMS. They believe that PCT in combination with other clinical data to guide antibiotic therapy may result in more personalized and precise targeted antibiotic treatment. The future of PCT in antibiotic treatment is promising and may result in effective utilization of this biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Lay-Hoon Kwa
- Department of Pharmacy, Singapore General Hospital; Emerging Infectious Diseases Program, Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Do Ngoc Son
- Center for Critical Care Medicine, Bach Mai Hospital; Hanoi Medical University; School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hanoi National University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Kapil Zirpe
- Department of Neurocritical Care, Ruby Hall Clinic, Grant Medical Foundation, Pune, India
| | - Petrick Periyasamy
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Medical Department, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz UKM, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Rongpong Plongla
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine and Center of Excellence in Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship; Chulalongkorn University and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Tonny Loho
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Medistra Hospital; Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitas Kristen Krida Wacana, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Vu Van Giap
- Training and Direction of Healthcare Activities Center; Internal Medicine Department, Hanoi Medical University; Vietnam Respiratory Society; Vietnam Society of Sleep Medicine; Respiratory Center, Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam
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Lawandi A, Oshiro M, Warner S, Diao G, Strich JR, Babiker A, Rhee C, Klompas M, Danner RL, Kadri SS. Reliability of Admission Procalcitonin Testing for Capturing Bacteremia Across the Sepsis Spectrum: Real-World Utilization and Performance Characteristics, 65 U.S. Hospitals, 2008-2017. Crit Care Med 2023; 51:1527-1537. [PMID: 37395622 DOI: 10.1097/ccm.0000000000005968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Serum procalcitonin is often ordered at admission for patients with suspected sepsis and bloodstream infections (BSIs), although its performance characteristics in this setting remain contested. This study aimed to evaluate use patterns and performance characteristics of procalcitonin-on-admission in patients with suspected BSI, with or without sepsis. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING Cerner HealthFacts Database (2008-2017). PATIENTS Adult inpatients (≥ 18 yr) who had blood cultures and procalcitonin drawn within 24 hours of admission. INTERVENTIONS None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Testing frequency of procalcitonin was determined. Sensitivity of procalcitonin-on-admission for detecting BSI due to different pathogens was calculated. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was calculated to assess discrimination by procalcitonin-on-admission for BSI in patients with and without fever/hypothermia, ICU admission and sepsis defined by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Adult Sepsis Event criteria. AUCs were compared using Wald test and p values were adjusted for multiple comparisons. At 65 procalcitonin-reporting hospitals, 74,958 of 739,130 patients (10.1%) who had admission blood cultures also had admission procalcitonin testing. Most patients (83%) who had admission day procalcitonin testing did not have a repeat procalcitonin test. Median procalcitonin varied considerably by pathogen, BSI source, and acute illness severity. At a greater than or equal to 0.5 ng/mL cutoff, sensitivity for BSI detection was 68.2% overall, ranging between 58.0% for enterococcal BSI without sepsis and 96.4% for pneumococcal sepsis. Procalcitonin-on-admission displayed moderate discrimination at best for overall BSI (AUC, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.72-0.73) and showed no additional utility in key subgroups. Empiric antibiotic use proportions were not different between blood culture sampled patients with a positive procalcitonin (39.7%) and negative procalcitonin (38.4%) at admission. CONCLUSIONS At 65 study hospitals, procalcitonin-on-admission demonstrated poor sensitivity in ruling out BSI, moderate-to-poor discrimination for both bacteremic sepsis and occult BSI and did not appear to meaningfully alter empiric antibiotic usage. Diagnostic stewardship of procalcitonin-on-admission and risk assessment of admission procalcitonin-guided clinical decisions is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Lawandi
- Critical Care Medicine Department, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Critical Care Medicine Branch, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD
| | - Marissa Oshiro
- Critical Care Medicine Department, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD
- Critical Care Medicine Branch, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD
- Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC
- School of Medicine, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
| | - Sarah Warner
- Critical Care Medicine Department, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD
- Critical Care Medicine Branch, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD
| | - Guoqing Diao
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Jeffrey R Strich
- Critical Care Medicine Department, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD
- Critical Care Medicine Branch, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD
| | - Ahmed Babiker
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Chanu Rhee
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Michael Klompas
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Robert L Danner
- Critical Care Medicine Department, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD
- Critical Care Medicine Branch, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD
| | - Sameer S Kadri
- Critical Care Medicine Department, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD
- Critical Care Medicine Branch, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD
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Ahuja N, Mishra A, Gupta R, Ray S. Biomarkers in sepsis-looking for the Holy Grail or chasing a mirage! World J Crit Care Med 2023; 12:188-203. [PMID: 37745257 PMCID: PMC10515097 DOI: 10.5492/wjccm.v12.i4.188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Sepsis is defined as a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by the dysregulated host response to infection. It is a complex syndrome and is characterized by physiologic, pathologic and biochemical abnormalities in response to an infection. Diagnosis of sepsis is based on history, physical examination and other investigations (including biomarkers) which may help to increase the certainty of diagnosis. Biomarkers have been evaluated in the past for many diseases and have been evaluated for sepsis as well. Biomarkers may find a possible role in diagnosis, prognostication, therapeutic monitoring and anti-microbial stewardship in sepsis. Since the pathophysiology of sepsis is quite complex and is incompletely understood, a single biomarker that may be robust enough to provide all information has not been found as of yet. However, many biomarkers have been studied and some of them have applications at the bedside and guide clinical decision-making. We evaluated the PubMed database to search for sepsis biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and possible role in antibiotic escalation and de-escalation. Clinical trials, meta-analyses, systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials were included. Commonly studied biomarkers such as procalcitonin, Soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator (Supar), presepsin, soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1, interleukin 6, C-reactive protein, etc., have been described for their possible applications as biomarkers in septic patients. The sepsis biomarkers are still an area of active research with newer evidence adding to the knowledge base continuously. For patients presenting with sepsis, early diagnosis and prompt resuscitation and early administration of anti-microbials (preferably within 1 h) and source control are desired goals. Biomarkers may help us in the diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic monitoring of septic patients. The marker redefining our view on sepsis is yet a mirage that clinicians and researchers continue to chase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neelmani Ahuja
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Holy Family Hospital, Delhi 110025, India
| | - Anjali Mishra
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Holy Family Hospital, Delhi 110025, India
| | - Ruchi Gupta
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Holy Family Hospital, Delhi 110025, India
| | - Sumit Ray
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Holy Family Hospital, Delhi 110025, India
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August BA, Kale-Pradhan PB, Giuliano C, Johnson LB. Biomarkers in the intensive care setting: A focus on using procalcitonin and C-reactive protein to optimize antimicrobial duration of therapy. Pharmacotherapy 2023; 43:935-949. [PMID: 37300522 DOI: 10.1002/phar.2834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Managing the critically ill patient with infection is complex, requiring clinicians to synthesize considerable information relating to antimicrobial efficacy and treatment duration. The use of biomarkers may play an important role in identifying variation in treatment response and providing information about treatment efficacy. Though a vast number of biomarkers for clinical application have been described, procalcitonin and C-reactive protein (CRP) are the most thoroughly investigated in the critically ill. However, the presence of heterogeneous populations, variable end points, and incongruent methodology in the literature complicates the use of such biomarkers to guide antimicrobial therapy. This review focuses on an appraisal of evidence for use of procalcitonin and CRP to optimize antimicrobial duration of therapy (DOT) in critically ill patients. Procalcitonin-guided antimicrobial therapy in mixed critically ill populations with varying degrees of sepsis appears to be safe and might assist in reducing antimicrobial DOT. Compared to procalcitonin, fewer studies exist examining the impact of CRP on antimicrobial DOT and clinical outcomes in the critically ill. Procalcitonin and CRP have been insufficiently studied in many key intensive care unit populations, including surgical patients with concomitant trauma, renally insufficient populations, the immunocompromised, and patients with septic shock. We believe the available evidence is not strong enough to warrant routine use of procalcitonin or CRP to guide antimicrobial DOT in critically ill patients with infection. So long as its limitations are recognized, procalcitonin could be considered to tailor antimicrobial DOT on a case-by-case basis in the critically ill patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin A August
- Critical Care, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Science, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Pramodini B Kale-Pradhan
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Science, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Ascension St. John Hospital, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Christopher Giuliano
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Science, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Ascension St. John Hospital, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Leonard B Johnson
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Infection Prevention and Antimicrobial Stewardship, Ascension St. John Hospital, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
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Kommu S, Cirra V. Misleading Procalcitonin in Patients With Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia: A Report of Two Cases. Cureus 2023; 15:e43415. [PMID: 37581200 PMCID: PMC10423589 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.43415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Procalcitonin (PCT) is an important biomarker for bacterial infection with a high negative predictive value. It is almost always positive in patients who are bacteremic with pathogenic bacteria. Here, we report two cases of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, where PCT levels were unexpectedly negative. This uncommon occurrence challenges the assumption of PCT's infallibility as a diagnostic marker in patients with true bacteremia. The first case is a 55-year-old woman with no past medical issues who presented with one week of generalized weakness and two days of fever and chills. Though her white blood cell (WBC) count and c-reactive protein (CRP) were elevated, PCT was normal, with no apparent source of infection, and hence antibiotic differed. However, her blood cultures returned positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The patient was started on vancomycin and discharged on daptomycin, she responded appropriately and improved. The second case is an intravenous (IV) drug user, a 40-year-old woman, who presented with septic arthritis and osteomyelitis involving the right hip. She had blood cultures positive for methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA); however, a PCT check on the day of positive blood cultures and various occasions subsequently was normal. These two cases remind us that we cannot over-rely on one test to rule out bacterial infection and should consider the whole clinical picture. They highlight the need for vigilance among clinicians that PCT can rarely be negative in cases of true bacteremia in spite of its high negative predictive value. Physicians and antibiotic stewardship programs should be cautious and aware of this potential pitfall when utilizing PCT as a diagnostic tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharath Kommu
- Hospital Medicine, Marshfield Clinic, Rice Lake, USA
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Sathya Kumar AM, George MM, Bhanuprasad K, John GM, Korula A, Abraham A, Mathews V, Kulkarni UP, Shankar C, Premkumar PS, Chacko B, Subramani K, Varghese GM, Balaji V, George B. Persistent bacteremia predicts poor outcomes among neutropenic patients with carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bloodstream infections receiving appropriate therapy. Ann Clin Microbiol Antimicrob 2023; 22:12. [PMID: 36793051 PMCID: PMC9933361 DOI: 10.1186/s12941-023-00561-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Identifying persistent bacteremia early in patients with neutropenia may improve outcome. This study evaluated the role of follow-up blood cultures (FUBC) positivity in predicting outcomes among patients with neutropenia and carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bloodstream infections (CRGNBSI). METHODS This retrospective cohort study conducted between December 2017 and April 2022 included patients more than 15 years old with neutropenia and CRGNBSI, who survived for ≥ 48 h, receiving appropriate antibiotic therapy and had FUBCs. Patients with polymicrobial bacteremia within 30 days were excluded. The primary outcome was 30 day mortality. Persistent bacteremia, septic shock, recovery from neutropenia, prolonged or profound neutropenia, requirement of intensive care and dialysis, and initiation of appropriate empirical therapy were also studied. RESULTS In our study cohort of 155 patients, the 30 day mortality rate was 47.7%. Persistent bacteremia was common in our patient cohort (43.8%). Carbapenem resistant isolates identified in the study were K.pneumoniae (80%), E.coli (12.26%), P.aeruginosa (5.16%), A.baumanii (1.94%) and E.cloacae (0.65%). The median time for sending a FUBC was 2 days (IQR, 1-3 days). Patients with persistent bacteremia had higher mortality than those without (56.76% versus 32.1%; p < 0.001). Appropriate initial empirical therapy was given to 70.9%. Recovery from neutropenia occurred in 57.4% while 25.8% had prolonged or profound neutropenia. Sixty-nine percent (107/155) had septic shock and needed intensive care; 12.2% of patients required dialysis. Non-recovery from neutropenia (aHR, 4.28; 95% CI 2.53-7.23), presence of septic shock (aHR, 4.42; 95%CI 1.47-13.28), requirement of intensive care (aHR,3.12;95%CI 1.23-7.93), and persistent bacteremia (aHR,1.74; 95%CI 1.05-2.89) significantly predicted poor outcomes in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSION FUBC showing persistent bacteremia predicted poor outcomes among neutropenic patients with carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bloodstream infections (CRGNBSI) and should be routinely reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abi Manesh Sathya Kumar
- grid.11586.3b0000 0004 1767 8969Department of Infectious Diseases, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu India
| | - Mithun Mohan George
- grid.11586.3b0000 0004 1767 8969Department of Infectious Diseases, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu India
| | - Kundakarla Bhanuprasad
- grid.11586.3b0000 0004 1767 8969Department of Infectious Diseases, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu India
| | - Grace Mary John
- grid.11586.3b0000 0004 1767 8969Department of Infectious Diseases, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu India
| | - Anu Korula
- grid.11586.3b0000 0004 1767 8969Department of Hematology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu India
| | - Aby Abraham
- grid.11586.3b0000 0004 1767 8969Department of Hematology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu India
| | - Vikram Mathews
- grid.11586.3b0000 0004 1767 8969Department of Hematology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu India
| | - Uday Prakash Kulkarni
- grid.11586.3b0000 0004 1767 8969Department of Hematology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu India
| | - Chaitra Shankar
- grid.11586.3b0000 0004 1767 8969Department of Clinical Microbiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu India
| | - Prasanna Samuel Premkumar
- grid.11586.3b0000 0004 1767 8969Department of Biostatistics, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu India
| | - Binila Chacko
- grid.11586.3b0000 0004 1767 8969Division of Critical Care, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu India
| | - K. Subramani
- grid.11586.3b0000 0004 1767 8969Division of Critical Care, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu India
| | - George M. Varghese
- grid.11586.3b0000 0004 1767 8969Department of Infectious Diseases, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu India
| | - V. Balaji
- grid.11586.3b0000 0004 1767 8969Department of Clinical Microbiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu India
| | - Biju George
- Department of Hematology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.
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Antimicrobial Stewardship Techniques for Critically Ill Patients with Pneumonia. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:antibiotics12020295. [PMID: 36830205 PMCID: PMC9952097 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12020295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Pneumonia is common in the intensive care unit (ICU), infecting 27% of all critically ill patients. Given the high prevalence of this disease state in the ICU, optimizing antimicrobial therapy while minimizing toxicities is of utmost importance. Inappropriate antimicrobial use can increase the risk of antimicrobial resistance, Clostridiodes difficile infection, allergic reaction, and other complications from antimicrobial use (e.g., QTc prolongation, thrombocytopenia). This review article aims to discuss methods to optimize antimicrobial treatment in patients with pneumonia, including the following: procalcitonin use, utilization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nares testing to determine need for vancomycin therapy, utilization of the Biofire® FilmArray® pneumonia polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and microbiology reporting techniques.
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The ability of inflammatory markers to recognize infection in cancer patients with fever at admission. Immunol Res 2022; 70:667-677. [PMID: 35764901 DOI: 10.1007/s12026-022-09299-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Infection is one of the main causes of death in cancer patients. Accurate identification of fever caused by infection could avoid unnecessary antibiotic treatment and hospitalization. This study evaluated the diagnostic value of procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and other commonly used inflammatory markers in suspected infected adult cancer patients with fever, for better use of antibiotics. This research retrospective analyzed the clinical data of 102 adult cancer patients with fever and compared the serum levels of commonly used inflammatory markers for different fever reasons. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve and logistic regression analyses were performed. In adult cancer patients with fever, the serum PCT, CRP, IL-6, and IL-10 levels of infected patients were significantly higher than uninfected patients (median 1.19 ng/ml vs 0.14 ng/ml, 93.11 mg/l vs 56.55 mg/l, 123.74 pg/ml vs 47.35 pg/ml, 8.74 pg/ml vs 3.22 pg/ml; Mann-Whitney p = 0.000, p = 0.009, p = 0.004, p = 0.000, respectively). The ROC area under the curve(AUC) was 0.769 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.681-0.857; p = 0.000) for PCT, 0.664 (95% CI 0.554-0.775; p = 0.009) for CRP, 0.681(95% CI 0.576-0.785; p = 0.004) for IL-6, and 0.731(95% CI 0.627-0.834; p = 0.000) for IL-10. PCT had specificity of 96.67% and positive predictive value (PPV) of 97.6%, when the cut-off value is set as 0.69 ng/ml. The serum IL-6 and IL-10 levels also had significant differences between the infected and uninfected cancer patients with advanced disease (median 128.92 pg/ml vs 36.40 pg/ml, 8.05 pg/ml vs 2.92 pg/ml; Mann-Whitney p = 0.003, p = 0.001, respectively). For the patients with neutropenia, IL-6 and IL-10 had higher AUC of 0.811 and 0.928, respectively. With a cut-off of 9.10 pg/ml, IL-10 had the highest sensitivity 83.33% and specificity 100%. In adult cancer patients, PCT had the best performance compared to CRP, IL-6, and IL-10 in differentiating infected from uninfected causes of fever, with high specificity and PPV. IL-6 and IL-10 might be useful in cancer patients with severe bloodstream infections and advanced disease. However, for patients with neutropenia, IL-10 might be more valuable than PCT in diagnosing infection.
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Azijli K, Minderhoud TC, de Gans CJ, Lieveld AW, Nanayakkara PW. Optimal use of procalcitonin to rule out bacteremia in patients with possible viral infections. J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open 2022; 3:e12621. [PMID: 35601651 PMCID: PMC9120727 DOI: 10.1002/emp2.12621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective During the winter, many patients present with suspected infection that could be a viral or a bacterial (co)infection. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the optimal use of procalcitonin (PCT) is different in patients with and without proven viral infections for the purpose of excluding bacteremia. We hypothesize that when a viral infection is confirmed, this lowers the probability of bacteremia and, therefore, influences the appropriate cutoff of procalcitonin. Methods This study was conducted in the emergency department of an academic medical center in The Netherlands in the winter seasons of 2019 and 2020. Adults (>18 years) with suspected infection, in whom a blood culture and a rapid polymerase chain reaction test for influenza was performed were included. Results A total of 546 patients were included of whom 47 (8.6%) had a positive blood culture. PCT had an area under the curve of 0.85, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.80-0.91, for prediction of bacteremia. In patients with a proven viral infection (N = 212) PCT < 0.5 μg/L had a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI 63.1-100) and specificity of 81.2% (95% CI 75.1-86.3) to exclude bacteremia. In patients without a viral infection, the procalcitonin cutoff point of < 0.25 μg/L showed a sensitivity of 87.2% (95% CI 72.6-95.7) and specificity of 64.1 % (95% CI 58.3-69.6). Conclusion In patients with a viral infection, our findings suggest that a PCT concentration of <0.50 μg/L makes bacteremia unlikely. However, this finding needs to be confirmed in a larger population of patients with viral infections, especially because the rate of coinfection in our cohort was low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaoutar Azijli
- Department of Emergency MedicineAmsterdam Public Health Research InstituteAmsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Tanca C. Minderhoud
- Department of General and Acute Internal MedicineAmsterdam Public Health Research InstituteAmsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Carlijn J. de Gans
- Department of Emergency MedicineAmsterdam Public Health Research InstituteAmsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Department of General and Acute Internal MedicineGelre Hospital ApeldoornAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Arthur W.E. Lieveld
- Department of General and Acute Internal MedicineAmsterdam Public Health Research InstituteAmsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Prabath W.B. Nanayakkara
- Department of General and Acute Internal MedicineAmsterdam Public Health Research InstituteAmsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
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Malinovska A, Hinson JS, Badaki‐Makun O, Hernried B, Smith A, Debraine A, Toerper M, Rothman RE, Kickler T, Levin S. Monocyte distribution width as part of a broad pragmatic sepsis screen in the emergency department. J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open 2022; 3:e12679. [PMID: 35252973 PMCID: PMC8886187 DOI: 10.1002/emp2.12679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Study Objective Methods Results Conclusion
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Malinovska
- Department of Emergency Medicine Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland USA
- Department of Epidemiology Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health Baltimore Maryland USA
| | - Jeremiah S. Hinson
- Department of Emergency Medicine Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland USA
- Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering Baltimore Maryland USA
- StoCastic Baltimore Maryland USA
| | - Oluwakemi Badaki‐Makun
- Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering Baltimore Maryland USA
- Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland USA
| | - Benjamin Hernried
- Department of Emergency Medicine Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland USA
| | - Aria Smith
- Department of Emergency Medicine Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland USA
- Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering Baltimore Maryland USA
| | | | - Matthew Toerper
- Department of Emergency Medicine Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland USA
- Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering Baltimore Maryland USA
- StoCastic Baltimore Maryland USA
| | - Richard E. Rothman
- Department of Emergency Medicine Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland USA
| | - Thomas Kickler
- Department of Pathology Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland USA
| | - Scott Levin
- Department of Emergency Medicine Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland USA
- Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering Baltimore Maryland USA
- StoCastic Baltimore Maryland USA
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11
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Bauer W, Kappert K, Galtung N, Lehmann D, Wacker J, Cheng HK, Liesenfeld O, Buturovic L, Luethy R, Sweeney TE, Tauber R, Somasundaram R. A Novel 29-Messenger RNA Host-Response Assay From Whole Blood Accurately Identifies Bacterial and Viral Infections in Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department With Suspected Infections: A Prospective Observational Study. Crit Care Med 2021; 49:1664-1673. [PMID: 34166284 PMCID: PMC8439671 DOI: 10.1097/ccm.0000000000005119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The rapid diagnosis of acute infections and sepsis remains a serious challenge. As a result of limitations in current diagnostics, guidelines recommend early antimicrobials for suspected sepsis patients to improve outcomes at a cost to antimicrobial stewardship. We aimed to develop and prospectively validate a new, 29-messenger RNA blood-based host-response classifier Inflammatix Bacterial Viral Non-Infected version 2 (IMX-BVN-2) to determine the likelihood of bacterial and viral infections. DESIGN Prospective observational study. SETTING Emergency Department, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany. PATIENTS Three hundred twelve adult patients presenting to the emergency department with suspected acute infections or sepsis with at least one vital sign change. INTERVENTIONS None (observational study only). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Gene expression levels from extracted whole blood RNA was quantified on a NanoString nCounter SPRINT (NanoString Technologies, Seattle, WA). Two predicted probability scores for the presence of bacterial and viral infection were calculated using the IMX-BVN-2 neural network classifier, which was trained on an independent development set. The IMX-BVN-2 bacterial score showed an area under the receiver operating curve for adjudicated bacterial versus ruled out bacterial infection of 0.90 (95% CI, 0.85-0.95) compared with 0.89 (95% CI, 0.84-0.94) for procalcitonin with procalcitonin being used in the adjudication. The IMX-BVN-2 viral score area under the receiver operating curve for adjudicated versus ruled out viral infection was 0.83 (95% CI, 0.77-0.89). CONCLUSIONS IMX-BVN-2 demonstrated accuracy for detecting both viral infections and bacterial infections. This shows the potential of host-response tests as a novel and practical approach for determining the causes of infections, which could improve patient outcomes while upholding antimicrobial stewardship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Bauer
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai Kappert
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Berlin, Germany
| | - Noa Galtung
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dana Lehmann
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Rudolf Tauber
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rajan Somasundaram
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
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12
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Boussi LS, Popli T, Feola N, Nog R. Clinical and microbiological characteristics of patients with bacteremia and normal procalcitonin. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2021; 101:115515. [PMID: 34547664 DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2021.115515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Procalcitonin is a biomarker of bacterial infection used to guide antimicrobial therapy. However, emerging studies have highlighted bacteremic patients with low procalcitonin, potentially limiting its clinical utility. Here, we conducted an observational, retrospective study analyzing clinical and microbiological parameters of adult patients with bacteremia and procalcitonin <2 ng/mL. High proportions of patients required intensive care (31.2%) with vasopressor (14.9%) or ventilatory (17.7%) support, developed renal injury (30.7%), or had in-hospital mortality (14.4%). When divided into subgroups by procalcitonin level, patients with procalcitonin 0.5 to 2.0 ng/mL had significantly higher rates of in-hospital mortality, vasopressor requirement, and renal injury than those with procalcitonin <0.5 ng/mL. Altogether, bacteremic patients had significant morbidity and mortality despite low procalcitonin. While subgroup analysis suggested that higher procalcitonin may correlate with illness severity, a more sensitive procalcitonin cutoff did not eliminate patients with significant disease. Procalcitonin-based algorithms may not be clinically appropriate for management of bacteremia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leora S Boussi
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Westchester Medical Center, Westchester, NY, USA.
| | - Tarun Popli
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Westchester Medical Center, Westchester, NY, USA
| | - Nicholas Feola
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Westchester Medical Center, Westchester, NY, USA
| | - Rajat Nog
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Westchester Medical Center, Westchester, NY, USA
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13
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Chaftari P, Qdaisat A, Chaftari AM, Maamari J, Li Z, Lupu F, Raad I, Hachem R, Calin G, Yeung SCJ. Prognostic Value of Procalcitonin, C-Reactive Protein, and Lactate Levels in Emergency Evaluation of Cancer Patients with Suspected Infection. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13164087. [PMID: 34439240 PMCID: PMC8393196 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13164087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Cancer patients are at increased risk of infections and related complications, including sepsis. We developed a scoring system for mortality prediction based on readily available clinical and laboratory data, including the quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) score, cancer subtype, and several laboratory markers (procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, and albumin) that can be used in emergency departments for cancer patients with suspected infection. The prediction score, which stratifies patients into four different risk groups (from low risk to very high risk), achieved excellent performance in predicting 14-day mortality, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve value of 0.88 (95% confidence interval 0.85–0.91). The score was also effective in predicting intensive care unit admission and 30-day mortality. Abstract Cancer patients have increased risk of infections, and often present to emergency departments with infection-related problems where physicians must make decisions based on a snapshot of the patient’s condition. Although C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, and lactate are popular biomarkers of sepsis, their use in guiding emergency care of cancer patients with infections is unclear. Using these biomarkers, we created a prediction model for short-term mortality in cancer patients with suspected infection. We retrospectively analyzed all consecutive patients who visited the emergency department of MD Anderson Cancer Center between 1 April 2018 and 30 April 2019. A clinical decision model was developed using multiple logistic regression for various clinical and laboratory biomarkers; coefficients were used to generate a prediction score stratifying patients into four groups according to their 14-day mortality risk. The prediction score had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve value of 0.88 (95% confidence interval 0.85–0.91) in predicting 14-day mortality. The prediction score also accurately predicted intensive care unit admission and 30-day mortality. Our simple new scoring system for mortality prediction, based on readily available clinical and laboratory data, including procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, and lactate, can be used in emergency departments for cancer patients with suspected infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Chaftari
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (P.C.); (A.Q.)
| | - Aiham Qdaisat
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (P.C.); (A.Q.)
| | - Anne-Marie Chaftari
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (A.-M.C.); (I.R.); (R.H.)
| | - Julian Maamari
- School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, P.O. Box 36, Byblos, Lebanon;
| | - Ziyi Li
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Florea Lupu
- Cardiovascular Biology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA;
| | - Issam Raad
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (A.-M.C.); (I.R.); (R.H.)
| | - Ray Hachem
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (A.-M.C.); (I.R.); (R.H.)
| | - George Calin
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Sai-Ching Jim Yeung
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (P.C.); (A.Q.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(713)-745-9911
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14
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Heffernan AJ, Denny KJ. Host Diagnostic Biomarkers of Infection in the ICU: Where Are We and Where Are We Going? Curr Infect Dis Rep 2021; 23:4. [PMID: 33613126 DOI: 10.1007/s11908-021-00747-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Purpose of Review Early identification of infection in the critically ill patient and initiation of appropriate treatment is key to reducing morbidity and mortality. On the other hand, the indiscriminate use of antimicrobials leads to harms, many of which may be exaggerated in the critically ill population. The current method of diagnosing infection in the intensive care unit relies heavily on clinical gestalt; however, this approach is plagued by biases. Therefore, a reliable, independent biomarker holds promise in the accurate determination of infection. We discuss currently used host biomarkers used in the intensive care unit and review new and emerging approaches to biomarker discovery. Recent Findings White cell count (including total white cell count, left shift, and the neutrophil-leucocyte ratio), C-reactive protein, and procalcitonin are the most common host diagnostic biomarkers for sepsis used in current clinical practice. However, their utility in the initial diagnosis of infection, and their role in the subsequent decision to commence treatment, remains limited. Novel approaches to biomarker discovery that are currently being investigated include combination biomarkers, host 'sepsis signatures' based on differential gene expression, site-specific biomarkers, biomechanical assays, and incorporation of new and pre-existing host biomarkers into machine learning algorithms. Summary To date, no single reliable independent biomarker of infection exists. Whilst new approaches to biomarker discovery hold promise, their clinical utility may be limited if previous mistakes that have afflicted sepsis biomarker research continue to be repeated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron J Heffernan
- School of Medicine, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD Australia
- Centre for Translational Anti-infective Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Herston, QLD Australia
| | - Kerina J Denny
- Department of Intensive Care, Gold Coast University Hospital, Gold Coast, QLD Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Herston, QLD Australia
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