Meta-analysis and systematic review of procalcitonin-guided treatment in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Comparison of luteal support protocols in fresh IVF/ICSI cycles: a network meta-analysis

Despite the proven superiority of various luteal phase support protocols (LPS) over placebo in view of improved pregnancy rates in fresh cycles of IVF (in vitro fertilization) and ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) cycles, there is ongoing controversy over specific LPS protocol selection, dosage, and duration. The aim of the present study was to identify the optimal LPS under six core aspects of ART success, clinical pregnancy, live birth as primary outcomes and biochemical pregnancy, miscarriage, multiple pregnancy, ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) events as secondary outcomes. Twelve databases, namely Embase (OVID), MEDLINE (R) (OVID), GlobalHealth (Archive), GlobalHealth, Health and Psychosocial Instruments, Maternity & Infant Care Database (MIDIRS), APA PsycTests, ClinicalTrials.gov, HMIC Health Management Information Consortium, CENTRAL, Web of Science, Scopus and two prospective registers, MedRxiv, Research Square were searched from inception to Aug.1st, 2023, (PROSPERO Registration: CRD42022358986). Only Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) were included. Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) model was employed for outcome analysis, presenting fixed effects, odds ratios (ORs) with 95% credibility intervals (CrIs). Vaginal Progesterone (VP) was considered the reference LPS given its' clinical relevance. Seventy-six RCTs, comparing 22 interventions, and including 26,536 participants were included in the present NMA. Overall CiNeMa risk of bias was deemed moderate, and network inconsistency per outcome was deemed low (Multiple pregnancy χ2: 0.11, OHSS χ2: 0.26), moderate (Clinical Pregnancy: χ2: 7.02, Live birth χ2: 10.95, Biochemical pregnancy: χ2: 6.60, Miscarriage: χ2: 11.305). Combinatorial regimens, with subcutaneous GnRH-a (SCGnRH-a) on a vaginal progesterone base and oral oestrogen (OE) appeared to overall improve clinical pregnancy events; VP + OE + SCGnRH-a [OR 1.57 (95% CrI 1.11 to 2.22)], VP + SCGnRH-a [OR 1.28 (95% CrI 1.05 to 1.55)] as well as live pregnancy events, VP + OE + SCGnRH-a [OR 8.81 (95% CrI 2.35 to 39.1)], VP + SCGnRH-a [OR 1.76 (95% CrI 1.45 to 2.15)]. Equally, the progesterone free LPS, intramuscular human chorionic gonadotrophin, [OR 9.67 (95% CrI 2.34, 73.2)] was also found to increase live birth events, however was also associated with an increased probability of ovarian hyperstimulation, [OR 1.64 (95% CrI 0.75, 3.71)]. The combination of intramuscular and vaginal progesterone was associated with higher multiple pregnancy events, [OR 7.09 (95% CrI 2.49, 31.)]. Of all LPS protocols, VP + SC GnRH-a was found to significantly reduce miscarriage events, OR 0.54 (95% CrI 0.37 to 0.80). Subgroup analysis according to ovarian stimulation (OS) protocol revealed that the optimal LPS across both long and short OS, taking into account increase in live birth and reduction in miscarriage as well as OHSS events, was VP + SCGnRH-a, with an OR 2.89 [95% CrI 1.08, 2.96] and OR 2.84 [95% CrI 1.35, 6.26] respectively. Overall, NMA data suggest that combinatorial treatments, with the addition of SCGnRH-a on a VP base result in improved clinical pregnancy and live birth events in both GnRH-agonist and antagonist ovarian stimulation protocols.

Utility of Procalcitonin in Clinical Practice

The rise of multi-resistant infections and complications associated with the overuse of antibiotics has led to the implementation of antibiotic stewardship strategies as a marker of patient safety and quality. Using biomarkers that can accurately predict the presence or absence of bacterial infection, thus signaling the need for antibiotic use, or supporting appropriate and safe discontinuation, has become an increasingly relevant strategy for antibiotic stewardship. Evidence supporting procalcitonin for antimicrobial stewardship has focused mostly on lower respiratory tract infections and sepsis. This review discusses the most relevant evidence to support the use of procalcitonin in clinical practice.

Measurement of Procalcitonin as an Indicator of Severity in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Admitted With Respiratory Illness

Introduction

Exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are a frequent reason for hospital admission and a major cause of morbidity and mortality. A useful biomarker or indicator of disease severity at the time of presentation could help guide treatment and identify those with poor prognosis who need early aggressive intervention. We hypothesized that patients who present to the hospital with COPD exacerbations who are found to have elevated procalcitonin (PCT) levels will have worse outcomes such as longer admissions, increased intensive care unit (ICU) utilization, and more frequent readmissions than those with normal levels, regardless of presence or absence of infiltrate on initial chest X-ray (CXR).

Methods

We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients admitted to our facility with a respiratory complaint and a diagnosis of COPD to examine the relation between PCT and disease severity. A total of 156 unique encounters were reviewed, with 87 included in the final data set. Data was collected on baseline medical conditions as well as clinical status at the time of presentation. Primary endpoints included the need for overnight ICU admission, hospital length of stay greater than seven days, and repeat visit within 30 days of discharge. Secondary endpoints included the need for intubation at the time of admission, in-hospital mortality or discharge to hospice, and ICU length of stay.

Results

Patients with elevated PCT levels (>0.25ng/mL) had a significantly increased likelihood of a need for ICU admission (odds ratio 3.18) and hospital length of stay greater than seven days (odds ratio 3.38). There was no statistically significant difference in the Emergency Department readmission rate or any of the secondary outcomes.

Conclusions

Our data suggests that PCT may be a useful early biomarker for patients with COPD presenting with an acute respiratory illness.

Procalcitonin for individualizing antibiotic treatment: an update with a focus on COVID-19

Procalcitonin (PCT) is useful for differentiating between viral and bacterial infections and for reducing the unnecessary use of antibiotics. As the rise of antimicrobial resistance reaches “alarming” levels according to the World Health Organization, the importance of using biomarkers, such as PCT to limit unnecessary antibiotic exposure has further increased. Randomized trials in patients with respiratory tract infections have shown that PCT has prognostic implications and its use, embedded in stewardship protocols, leads to reductions in the use of antibiotics in different clinical settings without compromising clinical outcomes. However, available data are heterogeneous and recent trials found no significant benefit. Still, from these trials, we have learned several key considerations for the optimal use of PCT, which depend on the clinical setting, severity of presentation, and pretest probability for bacterial infection. For patients with respiratory infections and sepsis, PCT can be used to determine whether to initiate antimicrobial therapy in low-risk settings and, together with clinical data, whether to discontinue antimicrobial therapy in certain high-risk settings. There is also increasing evidence regarding PCT-guided therapy in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This review provides an up-to-date overview of the use of PCT in different clinical settings and diseases, including a discussion about its potential to improve the care of patients with COVID-19.

Procalcitonin-guided antibiotic therapy in AECOPD patients: Overview of systematic reviews

BACKGROUND

Procalcitonin (PCT)-guided antibiotic therapy has emerged as mainstream treatment for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) and has been studied in many systematic reviews (SRs), but robust conclusion has not been drawn. Thus, this overview aims to summarize and critically evaluate the methodological and evidence quality of SRs on this topic.

METHODS

PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library, and Web of science were searched for SRs regarding on PCT-guided antibiotic therapy on AECOPD. Two reviewers assessed the quality of SRs in line with AMSTAR-2 tool and evaluated the strength of evidence quality with the grading of recommendations, assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE) system for concerned outcomes independently.

RESULTS

Six SRs were published from Jun 2011 to Aug 2019, with from 4 (556 patients) to 15 (2571 patients) randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and retrospective studies. All the included SRs were classified as critical low methodology quality according to A MeaSurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2) tool. Most of SRs were absented a list of excluded studies (item 7), and adequate investigation of publication bias and discuss its likely impact on the results (item 15). The PCT-guided antibiotic therapy may reduce antibiotic exposure days and antibiotic prescription rate in patients with AECOPD without affecting treatment success rate or causing adverse events (all-cause mortality, re-admission, re-exacerbation), but the results should be study deeper for the low or moderate evidence quality.

CONCLUSION

Current SRs show that PCT-guided antibiotic therapy could be employed by clinicians in treatment of AECOPD. However, the high-quality evidence of outcomes is lacking, further intensive exploration should be carried out on the precise role of PCT-guided antibiotic therapy on AECOPD.

Sepsis Biomarkers

Biomarkers have been used in sepsis to assist with the diagnosis of disease as well as determining the severity of disease, that is, prognosis. These biomarkers are based on the presence of discrete molecules within the blood. Unfortunately, in 2020, a single biomarker does not have sufficient sensitivity and specificity to definitively rule in or rule out sepsis. Biomarkers have shown better performance in animal models of disease.

Prevention and Treatment of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV): A Review of Current Recommendations and Emerging Therapies

Postoperative nausea and vomiting is one of the most frequent adverse events after surgery and anesthesia. It is distressing for the patient and can lead to other postoperative complications. Management of PONV involves a framework of risk assessment, multimodal risk reduction, and prophylactic measures, as well as prompt rescue treatment. There has been a significant paradigm shift in the approach towards PONV prevention. There have also been several emerging therapeutic options for PONV prophylaxis and treatment. In this review, we will discuss the up-to-date PONV management guidelines and highlight novel therapeutic options which have emerged in the last few years.

Dyslipidemia and Its Associated Risk Factors Among Adult Type-2 Diabetic Patients at Jimma University Medical Center, Jimma, Southwest Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Dyslipidemia is one of the major modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in a type-2 diabetic (T2DM) patient. Dyslipidemia in T2DM patients is attributed due to increased free fatty acid flux secondary to insulin resistance. Despite its high prevalence and related complication of dyslipidemia in T2DM patients, there is a paucity of data on the prevalence of dyslipidemia in T2DM patients in Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence of dyslipidemia and its associated risk factors among T2DM patients at Jimma medical center (JUMC) Jimma, Ethiopia.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

An institution-based- cross-sectional study was conducted from June 1 to August 4, 2019. A convenience sampling technique was used to recruit 248 T2DM patients in the study. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, behavioral, and clinical factors were collected using a structured questionnaire through face to face interviews. Five milliliters of the fasting venous blood sample was collected for serum glucose and lipid profile analysis. Blood pressure, weight, and height were measured. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 21. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed and p-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of dyslipidemia among study participants was 68.1%. Isolated lipid profile abnormality of hypertriglyceridemia was found in 48%, hypercholesterolemia in 13.7%, high level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) in 28.6%, and low level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) in 50.8% study participants. Being in an age group ≥30 years, physical inactivity, being obese, hypertension, and high blood glucose value were significantly associated factors with dyslipidemia.

CONCLUSION

High prevalence of dyslipidemia was found among T2DM in the study area. The findings of this study should be taken into account to conduct appropriate intervention measures on the identified risk factor, and implement routine screening, treatments, and prevention of dyslipidemia.

Emotional Intelligence and Quality of Life in Elderly Diabetic Patients

BACKGROUND

Coordination of various physical and mental aspects of individuals, including the ability to control difficult conditions and situations has an effect in the prevention and development of various diseases, such as diabetes, and the improvement of the quality of life. Therefore, the purpose of this study was is to determine the effect of emotional intelligence on the quality of life of elderly diabetic patients.

METHODS

This study was conducted in 2018. The statistical population in this cross-sectional study consisted of elderly people referred to the health centers of Kermanshah province in western Iran, who were divided via available sampling into two groups with diabetes and without diabetes. Data gathering tools were a couple of LIPAD Quality of Life and Shrink Emotional Intelligence standard questionnaires. The Data was analysed using software SPSS, 23 th version. Tests were used (T-test, Chi-square, Anova and regression).

RESULTS

Most of them were male (52.72%) and the mean age of the patients was 65.01(±6.08) years old and married. The quality of life score in diabetics and non-diabetics was respectively 51.9 and 50.37 with a standard deviation of 17.73 and 20.54. The mean total score of emotional intelligence in the elderly with diabetes was 99.42 with a standard deviation of 10.37 and non-diabetic subjects were 97.18 with a standard deviation of 18.4.

CONCLUSION

There was no significant difference between the mean scores of quality of life (0.652) and emotional intelligence (0.421) in diabetic and non-diabetic individuals. But, the emotional intelligence has an effect on the quality of life of the elderly people.

A 2020 review on the role of procalcitonin in different clinical settings: an update conducted with the tools of the Evidence Based Laboratory Medicine

Biomarkers to guide antibiotic treatment decisions have been proposed as an effective way to enhancing a more appropriate use of antibiotics. As a biomarker, procalcitonin (PCT) has been found to have good specificity to distinguish bacterial from non-bacterial inflammations. Decisions regarding antibiotic use in an individual patient are complex and should be based on the pre-test probability for bacterial infection, the severity of presentation and the results of PCT serum concentration. In the context of a high pre-test probability for bacterial infections and/or a high-risk patient with sepsis, monitoring of PCT over time helps to track the resolution of infection and decisions regarding early stop of antibiotic treatment. As outlined by the Evidence Based Laboratory Medicine (EBLM), not only the pre-test probability but also the positive likelihood ratio influence the performance of a test do be really diagnostic. This aspect should be taken into account in the interpretation of the results of clinical trials evaluating the performance of PCT in guiding antibiotic therapy.

Procalcitonin and other markers to guide antibiotic use in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations in the era of antimicrobial resistance

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review summarizes the latest discoveries regarding the use of clinical indicators and biomarkers to guide antibiotic use in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), and it analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of various indicators and markers.

RECENT FINDINGS

For AECOPD patients admitted to emergency departments and medical wards, procalcitonin (PCT)-guided antibiotic therapy reduced antibiotic use without adverse outcomes. In contrast, for severe AECOPD patients admitted to ICUs, PCT-guided antibiotic therapy increased the overall mortality in a 3-month follow-up period, and antibiotic use was not decreased.

SUMMARY

PCT is the most promising biomarker to guide antibiotic use in patients with AECOPD. However, patients with severe AECOPD admitted in ICU may not benefit from PCT-guided antibiotic therapy.

Procalcitonin-guided antibiotic therapy in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: An updated meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The benefit of a procalcitonin (PCT)-guided antibiotic strategy in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) remains uncertain.

OBJECTIVES

This updated meta-analysis was performed to reevaluate the therapeutic potential of PCT-guided antibiotic therapy in AECOPD.

DATA SOURCES

We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ClinicalTrials.gov up to February 2019 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the role of PCT-guided antibiotic strategies in treating adult patients with AECOPD. Relative risk (RR) or mean differences (MD) with accompanying 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated with a random-effects model.

RESULTS

Eight RCTs with a total of 1376 participants were included. The results suggested that a PCT-guided antibiotic strategy reduced antibiotic prescriptions (RR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.39-0.76; P = .0003). However, antibiotic exposure duration (MD: -1.34; 95% CI: -2.83-0.16; P = .08), antibiotic use after discharge (RR: 1.61; 95% CI: 0.61-4.23; P = .34), clinical success (RR: 1.02; 95% CI: 0.96-1.08; P = .47), all-cause mortality (RR: 1.05; 95% CI: 0.72-1.55; P = .79), exacerbation at follow-up (RR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.80-1.18; P = .78), readmission at follow-up (RR: 1.12; 95% CI: 0.82-1.53; P = .49), length of hospital stay (MD: -0.36; 95% CI: -1.36-0.64; P = .48), and adverse events (RR: 1.33; 95% CI: 0.79-2.23; P = .28) were similar in both groups.

IMPLICATIONS OF KEY FINDINGS

A PCT-guided antibiotic strategy is associated with fewer antibiotic prescriptions, and has similar efficacy and safety compared with standard antibiotic therapy in AECOPD patients.

Potential of serum procalcitonin in predicting bacterial exacerbation and guiding antibiotic administration in severe COPD exacerbations: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: The value of procalcitonin (PCT) in the diagnosis of bacterial infections and for determining antibiotic usage among patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is currently unclear. Methods: We systematically reviewed the literature and selected studies that evaluated PCT as a biomarker for predicting bacterial infection and compared PCT-based protocols to determine its application in the initiation or discontinuation of antibiotics. Guidance for systematic reviews from Cochrane and the GRADE were followed to perform this study. Data were pooled and analyzed by using a random-effects or a fixed-effects model based on the heterogeneity. Results: The pooled sensitivity and specificity of PCT in diagnosing respiratory bacterial infections were 0.60 and 0.76, respectively, with the area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.77. Subgroup analysis showed that the sensitivity and specificity of PCT for patients in ICU were 0.48 and 0.69, respectively. PCT-based protocols decreased antibiotic prescription (relative risk = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.62-0.71) and total antibiotic exposure (mean difference = -2.60, 95% CI: -4.48-0.72), without affecting clinical outcomes such as treatment failure, length of hospitalization and rates of re-exacerbation or overall mortality. Conclusions: PCT has a moderate ability to distinguish bacterial respiratory infection in patients with AECOPD. PCT-guided algorithm can reduce unnecessary administration of antibiotics without increasing adverse outcomes. However, for patients requiring admission in the ICU, PCT may have a poor diagnostic value, and the PCT-guided algorithm may not effectively and safely reduce the antibiotic exposure.

Efficacy and safety of cefditoren pivoxil for exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A prospective multicenter interventional study

Oral antibiotic therapy for patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) usually involves an aminopenicillin with clavulanic acid, a macrolide, or a quinolone. To date, however, the clinical efficacy and safety of the oral cephalosporin cefditoren pivoxil has not been evaluated in Japanese patients with acute exacerbations of COPD. We conducted a prospective, multicenter, single arm, interventional study from January 2013 to March 2017 to determine the efficacy and safety of oral administration of 200 mg cefditoren pivoxil three times daily for 7 days in a cohort of 29 eligible patients from 15 hospitals. The mean age (SD) of participants was 73.1 (8.1) years and 28 had a smoking history (the mean [SD] of smoking index, 1426.7 [931.7]). The primary efficacy endpoint was clinical response (cure rate) at test of cure, which was set at 5-10 days after treatment ceased. Of the 23 patients finally analyzed, cure was achieved in 15 (65.2%), while 8 (34.8%) remained uncured. Previous experience of acute exacerbations significantly affected the cure rate: none of the three patients who had at least two prior exacerbations were cured, while 15 of the 20 patients with one or fewer prior exacerbations were cured (p = 0.032). The microbiological eradication rate was 88.9% at test of cure. During treatment, mild pneumonia was reported as an adverse event in one patient (3.4%) but resolved within 10 days of onset. We conclude that cefditoren pivoxil represents a viable alternative for antibiotic therapy in patients with few prior exacerbations.

Antibiotics for exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND

Many patients with an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are treated with antibiotics. However, the value of antibiotics remains uncertain, as systematic reviews and clinical trials have shown conflicting results.

OBJECTIVES

To assess effects of antibiotics on treatment failure as observed between seven days and one month after treatment initiation (primary outcome) for management of acute COPD exacerbations, as well as their effects on other patient-important outcomes (mortality, adverse events, length of hospital stay, time to next exacerbation).

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), in the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Embase, and other electronically available databases up to 26 September 2018.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We sought to find randomised controlled trials (RCTs) including people with acute COPD exacerbations comparing antibiotic therapy and placebo and providing follow-up of at least seven days.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently screened references and extracted data from trial reports. We kept the three groups of outpatients, inpatients, and patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) separate for benefit outcomes and mortality because we considered them to be clinically too different to be summarised as a single group. We considered outpatients to have a mild to moderate exacerbation, inpatients to have a severe exacerbation, and ICU patients to have a very severe exacerbation. When authors of primary studies did not report outcomes or study details, we contacted them to request missing data. We calculated pooled risk ratios (RRs) for treatment failure, Peto odds ratios (ORs) for rare events (mortality and adverse events), and mean differences (MDs) for continuous outcomes using random-effects models. We used GRADE to assess the quality of the evidence. The primary outcome was treatment failure as observed between seven days and one month after treatment initiation.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 19 trials with 2663 participants (11 with outpatients, seven with inpatients, and one with ICU patients).For outpatients (with mild to moderate exacerbations), evidence of low quality suggests that currently available antibiotics statistically significantly reduced the risk for treatment failure between seven days and one month after treatment initiation (RR 0.72, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.56 to 0.94; I² = 31%; in absolute terms, reduction in treatment failures from 295 to 212 per 1000 treated participants, 95% CI 165 to 277). Studies providing older antibiotics not in use anymore yielded an RR of 0.69 (95% CI 0.53 to 0.90; I² = 31%). Evidence of low quality from one trial in outpatients suggested no effects of antibiotics on mortality (Peto OR 1.27, 95% CI 0.49 to 3.30). One trial reported no effects of antibiotics on re-exacerbations between two and six weeks after treatment initiation. Only one trial (N = 35) reported health-related quality of life but did not show a statistically significant difference between treatment and control groups.Evidence of moderate quality does not show that currently used antibiotics statistically significantly reduced the risk of treatment failure among inpatients with severe exacerbations (i.e. for inpatients excluding ICU patients) (RR 0.65, 95% CI 0.38 to 1.12; I² = 50%), but trial results remain uncertain. In turn, the effect was statistically significant when trials included older antibiotics no longer in clinical use (RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.58 to 1.00; I² = 39%). Evidence of moderate quality from two trials including inpatients shows no beneficial effects of antibiotics on mortality (Peto OR 2.48, 95% CI 0.94 to 6.55). Length of hospital stay (in days) was similar in antibiotic and placebo groups.The only trial with 93 patients admitted to the ICU showed a large and statistically significant effect on treatment failure (RR 0.19, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.45; moderate-quality evidence; in absolute terms, reduction in treatment failures from 565 to 107 per 1000 treated participants, 95% CI 45 to 254). Results of this trial show a statistically significant effect on mortality (Peto OR 0.21, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.72; moderate-quality evidence) and on length of hospital stay (MD -9.60 days, 95% CI -12.84 to -6.36; low-quality evidence).Evidence of moderate quality gathered from trials conducted in all settings shows no statistically significant effect on overall incidence of adverse events (Peto OR 1.20, 95% CI 0.89 to 1.63; moderate-quality evidence) nor on diarrhoea (Peto OR 1.68, 95% CI 0.92 to 3.07; moderate-quality evidence).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Researchers have found that antibiotics have some effect on inpatients and outpatients, but these effects are small, and they are inconsistent for some outcomes (treatment failure) and absent for other outcomes (mortality, length of hospital stay). Analyses show a strong beneficial effect of antibiotics among ICU patients. Few data are available on the effects of antibiotics on health-related quality of life or on other patient-reported symptoms, and data show no statistically significant increase in the risk of adverse events with antibiotics compared to placebo. These inconsistent effects call for research into clinical signs and biomarkers that can help identify patients who would benefit from antibiotics, while sparing antibiotics for patients who are unlikely to experience benefit and for whom downsides of antibiotics (side effects, costs, and multi-resistance) should be avoided.

Procalcitonin-guided antibiotic therapy: an expert consensus

Background:

Procalcitonin (PCT) is a useful biomarker of bacterial infection and its use is associated to reduced duration of antibiotic therapy in the setting of intensive care medicine. To address the need of practical guidance for the use of PCT in various clinical settings, a group of experts was invited to participate at a consensus process with the aims of defining the rationale for appropriate use of PCT and for improving the management of critically ill patients with sepsis.

Methods:

A group of 14 experts from anesthesiology and critical care, infectious diseases, internal medicine, pulmonology, clinical microbiology, laboratory medicine, clinical pharmacology and methodology provided expert opinion through a modified Delphi process, after a comprehensive literature review.

Results:

The appropriateness of use of PCT in terms of diagnosis, prognosis and antimicrobial stewardship was assessed for different scenarios or settings such us management of infection in the emergency department, regular wards, surgical wards or in the intensive care unit. Similarly, appropriateness and timing of PCT measurement were evaluated. All the process consisted in three Delphi rounds.

Conclusions:

PCT use is appropriate in algorithms for antibiotic de-escalation and discontinuation. In this case, reproducible, high sensitive assays should be used. However, initiation or escalation of antibiotic therapy in specific scenarios, including acute respiratory infections, should not be based solely on PCT serum levels. Clinical and radiological findings, evaluation of severity of illness and of patient’s characteristics should be taken into proper account in order to correctly interpret PCT results.

Appropriate antibiotic management of bacterial lower respiratory tract infections

Lower respiratory tract infections are the leading cause of infectious disease deaths worldwide and are the fifth leading cause of death overall. This is despite conditions such as pneumococcal infections and influenza being largely preventable with the use of appropriate vaccines. The mainstay of treatment for the most important bacterial lower respiratory tract infections, namely acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), is the use of antibiotics. Yet despite a number of recent publications, including clinical studies as well as several systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses, there is considerable ongoing controversy as to what the most appropriate antibiotics are for the empiric therapy of CAP in the different settings (outpatient, inpatient, and intensive care unit). Furthermore, in the case of AECOPD, there is a need for consideration of which of these exacerbations actually need antibiotic treatment. This article describes these issues and makes suggestions for appropriately managing these conditions, in the setting of the need for antimicrobial stewardship initiatives designed to slow current emerging rates of antibiotic resistance, while improving patient outcomes.

The Use of Serum Procalcitonin as a Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Exacerbations: A Literature Review Update

Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) are a major complication in COPD patients which can be triggered by bacterial or viral infections, environmental pollutants and other causes. Procalcitonin (PCT), a peptide that markedly increases in cases of bacterial infection, has been extensively investigated as a biomarker in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment in patients with AECOPD. A number of studies published in the last decade, tried to investigate whether PCT levels can differentiate between bacterial and other causes of exacerbations, if they can be used as a guide for optimal antibiotic therapy and if they can be a tool in the assessment of the severity and the need for further interventions in the management of those patients. This review aims to gather, summarize and critically present all the available data to date.

Biomarker-guided antibiotic therapy-strengths and limitations

Biomarkers as C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) emerged as tools to help clinicians to diagnose infection and to properly initiate and define the duration of antibiotic therapy. Several randomized controlled trials, including adult critically ill patients, showed that PCT-guided antibiotic stewardship was repeatedly associated with a decrease in the duration of antibiotic therapy with no apparent harm. There are however some relevant limitations in these trials namely the low rate of compliance of PCT-guided algorithms, the high rate of exclusion (without including common clinical situations and pathogens) and the long duration of antibiotic therapy in control groups. Such limitations weakened the real impact of such algorithms in the clinical decision-making process and strengthened the concept that the initiation and the duration of antibiotic therapy cannot depend solely on a biomarker. Future efforts should address these limitations in order to better clarify the role of biomarkers on the complex and multifactorial issue of antibiotic management and to deeply understand its potential effect on mortality.

The recent advances of phenotypes in acute exacerbations of COPD

Exacerbations of COPD are clinically relevant events with therapeutic and prognostic implications. Yet, significant heterogeneity of clinical presentation and disease progression exists within acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD). Currently, different phenotypes have been widely used to describe the characteristics among patients with AECOPD. This has proved to be significant in the treatment and prediction of the outcomes of the disease. In this review of published literature, the phenotypes of AECOPD were classified according to etiology, inflammatory biomarkers, clinical manifestation, comorbidity, the frequency of exacerbations, and so on. This review concentrates on advancements in the use of phenotypes of AECOPD.