ARTI | Bronchitis | Pneumonia | |
Study | ProRESP | ProCOLD | ProCAP |
Setting | Emergency dept | Hospital | |
Design | Intervention studies | ||
Patients n | 243 | 226 | 302 |
Median PCT μg·L−1 | 0.25 | 0.1 | 0.5 |
AB initiation ↓ % | 44 | 40 | 14 |
Duration ↓ | 13 to 6 days | ||
Hospitalisation % | 78 | 80 | 97 |
Adverse events % | 10 | 16 | 20 |
In the ProRESP study, PCT guidance reduced AB prescription in 243 patients with lower respiratory tract infections by almost 50% 19. In the ProCAP study, PCT-guided AB duration was shortened by 65% from 12.9 to 5.8 days, with a similar outcome in patients with all severities of community-acquired pneumonia 20. In the ProCOLD study, the current authors demonstrated long-term safety with a similar re-admission rate over 6 months in >200 acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with markedly reduced PCT-guided AB use 21. ARTI: acute respiratory tract infection.