[The value of serum procalcitonin in treatment of community acquired pneumonia in outpatient].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the value of serum procalcitonin (PCT) on antibiotic use in treatment of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) in outpatient.


METHODS
From November 2006 to February 2008, a total of 127 patients with CAP in outpatient were randomly assigned into two groups: PCT group (n = 63) and control group (n = 64). PCT levels of all patients were measured after study admission. On the base of similarly normal treatment, the control group received antibiotics according to the attending physicians and the PCT group were treated with antibiotics according to serum PCT levels: antibiotic treatment was applied with PCT level > or = 0.25 microg/L and was discouraged with PCT level < 0.25 microg/L. Clinical efficacy, rate of antibiotics use, duration courses and costs of antibiotics were observed.


RESULTS
Clinical efficacy of the PCT group was similar with the control group (92.1% vs 87.5%, P > 0.05); rate and costs of antibiotics use was lower, antibiotic duration of the PCT group was shorter than that of the control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.001, P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
PCT could be used in treatment of CAP for antibiotic use in outpatient, which may reduce antibiotic use, shorten antibiotic duration and lower costs of antibiotic.
Long
Wei
W
Department of Emergency, Shanghai Fifth People's Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200240, China. longwei2290@163.com
Deng
Xing-Qi
XQ
Tang
Jian-Guo
JG
Xie
Juan
J
Zhang
Yi-Cui
YC
Zhang
Yu
Y
Gao
Yu-Yao
YY
Lu
Gang
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide