title: Procalcitonin-guided antibiotic therapy in aspiration pneumonia and an assessment of the continuation of oral intake.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Procalcitonin-guided antibiotic therapy for community-acquired pneumonia is effective and safe. However, the usefulness of procalcitonin for aspiration pneumonia and its nutrition-related outcomes are unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a noninferiority randomized controlled study in patients with aspiration pneumonia who were admitted to our hospital between September 2010 and January 2012. We randomly assigned 105 patients to groups with different durations of antibiotic therapy based on the procalcitonin levels upon admission (procalcitonin group) or according to the standard guidelines (control group). The primary endpoints were relapse of aspiration pneumonia and death within 30 days, with a predefined noninferiority boundary of 10%. Secondary endpoints included duration of antibiotic exposure. Furthermore, we conducted a retrospective analysis of the prognostic factors that determined continuation of oral nutritional intake, relapse of pneumonia, and in-hospital death.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rate of relapse and death within 30 days were similar in the procalcitonin and control groups (25% versus 37.5%; difference, -12.5%; 95% confidence interval, -30.9% to 5.9%). Procalcitonin-guided antibiotic therapy significantly shortened the median duration of antibiotic exposure (5 versus 8 days; p<0.0001); however, the continuation of oral intake was not increased (56% versus 50%; p=0.54). A multivariable analysis showed a significant association between the continuation of oral nutritional intake and the body mass index upon admission.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Procalcitonin-guided antibiotic therapy for aspiration pneumonia can shorten the duration of antibiotic exposure, but it does not increase the continuation of oral intake (UMIN000004800).
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hamamatsu Medical Center, 328 Tomitsuka, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 432-8580, Japan. Electronic address: shikatarawasagao@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ogasawara
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hamamatsu Medical Center, 328 Tomitsuka, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 432-8580, Japan; Department of Respirology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Umezawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hamamatsu Medical Center, 328 Tomitsuka, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 432-8580, Japan; Department of Respirology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Naito
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hamamatsu Medical Center, 328 Tomitsuka, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 432-8580, Japan; Department of Respirology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hamamatsu Medical Center, 328 Tomitsuka, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 432-8580, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinpei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hamamatsu Medical Center, 328 Tomitsuka, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 432-8580, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hamamatsu Medical Center, 328 Tomitsuka, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 432-8580, Japan.
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kasamatsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hamamatsu Medical Center, 328 Tomitsuka, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 432-8580, Japan.
authors.forename: Ikko
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hashizume
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D023381:Endpoint Determination; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011015:Pneumonia, Aspiration / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide
keywords: Aspiration pneumonia; Body mass index; Oral intake; Procalcitonin