Secondary study outcomes in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) according to the treatment algorithm
| Control group# | Procalcitonin group¶ | p-value | |
| MV-free days alive, days 1–28 | |||
| All patients | 19 (8.5–22.5) | 21 (2–24) | 0.455 |
| Nonfermenting GNB | 15 (7–20) | 12 (0.3–23) | 0.867 |
| MRSA | 15 (0–22) | 14 (6–21) | 1 |
| Other bacteria | 19 (1.8–24.8) | 22 (15.5–24.5) | 0.284 |
| No bacteria | 21.5 (18.8–23.3) | 23 (3.5–27) | 0.563 |
| ICU-free days alive, days 1–28 | |||
| All patients | 8.5 (0–18) | 10 (0–18) | 0.526 |
| Nonfermenting GNB | 0 (0–11) | 4 (0–13.5) | 0.683 |
| MRSA | 15 (2–17) | 9 (1.5–15) | 0.548 |
| Other bacteria | 7.5 (1–17.8) | 14 (7.5–20) | 0.139 |
| No bacteria | 18 (1.5–20) | 10 (1.–19.5) | 0.554 |
| Length of hospital stay days | |||
| All patients | 26 (16.8–22.3) | 26 (7–21) | 0.153 |
| Nonfermenting GNB | 34 (26–46) | 31 (13–35.5) | 0.130 |
| MRSA | 28 (17–41) | 26 (23.5–37.5) | 1.0 |
| Other bacteria | 24 (16.5–32.5) | 21.5 (14–28) | 0.442 |
| No bacteria | 28.5 (16–38) | 29 (9.5–33) | 0.343 |
| VAP-related clinical deterioration days 1–28+ | 7 (14) | 5 (10) | 0.759 |
| Discharge home days 1–28 | 3 (6) | 5 (10) | 0.479 |
| Discharge to another institution days 1–28 | 32 (64) | 35 (69) | 0.509 |
| Death from all causes days 1–28 | 12 (24) | 8 (16) | 0.327 |
| In-hospital mortality | 14 (28) | 10 (20) | 0.322 |
Data are presented as median (interquartile range) and n (%), unless otherwise stated. MV: mechanical ventilation; GNB: Gram-negative bacilli; MRSA: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; ICU: intensive care unit. #: n = 50; ¶: n = 51; +: defined as an increase in clinical pulmonary infection score more than two points.