Procalcitonin as a biomarker for ventilator associated pneumonia in COVID-19 patients: Is it an useful stewardship tool?

Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2021 Oct;101(2):115344. doi: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2021.115344. Epub 2021 Feb 12.

Abstract

Ventilator associated pneumonia(VAP) is a severe complication that can lead to high mortality when not early identified or when therapy is delayed. The aim of this study was to evaluate procalcitonin(PCT) as a biomarker for VAP development. In total, 73 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were analyzed. PCT levels greater than 0.975ng/mL were more related to VAP. No association was found for C-reactive protein (CRP). The results show that procalcitonin may be a pertinent biomarker for VAP diagnosis and can be a helpful tool for antibiotic withdrawal.

Keywords: COVID-19; Procalcitonin; SARS-Cov-2 pandemic; Secondary infection; Ventilator Associated Pneumonia.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antimicrobial Stewardship / methods*
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • COVID-19 / complications
  • COVID-19 / diagnosis*
  • COVID-19 Drug Treatment
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Intensive Care Units
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated / complications
  • Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated / diagnosis*
  • Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated / drug therapy
  • Procalcitonin / blood*
  • ROC Curve
  • SARS-CoV-2

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Biomarkers
  • Procalcitonin