Biomarkers to Optimize Antibiotic Therapy for Pneumonia Due To Multidrug-Resistant Pathogens.
Clin Chest Med. 2011 Sep;32(3):431-438
Authors: Luyt CE, Combes A, Trouillet JL, Chastre J
Abstract
No currently available biomarker can be used as a diagnostic marker for ventilator-associated pneumonia due to multidrug-resistant pathogens. Procalcitonin can be used to customize the duration of antimicrobial treatment without excess morbidity and mortality: when its concentration is less than 0.5 ng/mL or has decreased by 80% or more compared with the peak concentration, antibiotics can be stopped. With this strategy, extreme vigilance must be maintained after terminating antimicrobial therapy to detect a recurrent infection.
PMID: 21867813 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]