Clinical Pathway Based on Procalcitonin Levels for the Management of Community-acquired Pneumonia in Outpatients

Summary

A clinical protocol was developed for the management of adult outpatients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and Pneumonia Severity Index risk classes I-II. Patients are assigned to oral azithromycin or levofloxacin according to procalcitonin (PCT) levels measured with a rapid point-of-care method. When PCT levels are \<0.5 ng/ml, azithromycin, 500 mg/day is given orally for 5 days; if PCT is ≥0.5 ng/ml, levofloxacin, 500 mg/day is given orally for 7 days

Timeline

Start

2005-05

Primary completion

2016-03

Completion

2016-06

Publications

• Results Welte T, Torres A, Nathwani D. Clinical and economic burden of community-acquired pneumonia among adults in Europe. Thorax. 2012 Jan;67(1):71-9. doi: 10.1136/thx.2009.129502. Epub 2010 Aug 20.
• Results Masia M, Gutierrez F, Shum C, Padilla S, Navarro JC, Flores E, Hernandez I. Usefulness of procalcitonin levels in community-acquired pneumonia according to the patients outcome research team pneumonia severity index. Chest. 2005 Oct;128(4):2223-9. doi: 10.1378/chest.128.4.2223.
• Results File TM Jr, Marrie TJ. Does empiric therapy for atypical pathogens improve outcomes for patients with CAP? Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2013 Mar;27(1):99-114. doi: 10.1016/j.idc.2012.11.005.
• Masia M, Padilla S, Ortiz de la Tabla V, Gonzalez M, Bas C, Gutierrez F. Procalcitonin for selecting the antibiotic regimen in outpatients with low-risk community-acquired pneumonia using a rapid point-of-care testing: A single-arm clinical trial. PLoS One. 2017 Apr 20;12(4):e0175634. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175634. eCollection 2017.

Drugs

Indications