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Procalcitonin Versus C-reactive Protein to Guide Therapy in Community Acquired Pneumonia

Not Applicable
Withdrawn
Conditions
Community-acquired Pneumonia
Interventions
Other: CRP
Other: PCT
Registration Number
NCT01018199
Lead Sponsor
Federal University of Minas Gerais
Brief Summary

In this study the investigators aim to test if C-reactive protein (CRP) or procalcitonin(PCT) - guided strategy allows to reduce the antibiotic use in patients wiht community-acquired pneumonia. Therefore, the safety of this intervention will be carefully measured.

Detailed Description

Methods

• Patients and settings:

All adult (\> 18 years old) patients with diagnosis community-acquired pneumonia will receive initial antibiotic therapy based on local guidelines and susceptibility patterns, according to the decision of the treating physician.Patients will be randomly assigned to one of two groups, which respectively include PCR and PCT clinical procedure protocol. Randomization will be done using a table of random numbers generated by computer. For practical reasons the doctors treating the patients in question have science group in which the patient was included.

Patients included in the two groups will have baseline assessment during the first day of study:

* Clinical evaluation of basic

* Start of antibiotic therapy

* Inclusion in the study

* Randomization (after signing the Informed Consent)

* Interventions:

They will have circulating PCT and CRP levels measured at baseline and days 1,2,3 e 5 in both groups.

Group 1 - CRP group: the duration of antibiotic therapy will be based on circulating CRP levels.

Group 2 - PCT group: the duration of antibiotic therapy will be based on circulating PCT levels.

Patients enrolled in the study will undergo daily measurements of plasma CRP (Dry Chemistry - Johnsons \& Johnsons) and PCT (BRAHMS PCT VIDAS) levels up to day 5, and then, every 48hr in patients remaining in the ICU, and every 5 days in those transferred to the ward. Patients will be followed up 28 days, or until death or hospital transference, which comes first. PCT and CRP results will be released in sealed envelopes. During the study period, only the results corresponding to the patient randomization group will be open; i.e., CRP for CRP group patients and PCT for PCT group patients.

Criteria for antibiotic interruption:

The investigators will propose the interruption of antibiotics if:

1. The patients is clinically stable, without signs of active infection

2. CRP group: a relative reduction of 50% in baseline CRP levels, or a value lower than 25mg/dl is reached.

3. PCT group: a relative reduction of 90% in baseline PCT levels, or if a absolute value lower than 0.1 ng/ml is reached.

The final decision regarding antibiotic therapy will be always let to the discretion of the treating physician.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
WITHDRAWN
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
Not specified
Inclusion Criteria
  1. Age ≥ 18 years
  2. Signed informed consent
  3. Suspected or confirmed community-acquired pneumonia
Exclusion Criteria
  1. Nosocomial pneumonia: development of symptoms after 48 hours of admission to the Emergency Department, or within 14 days after hospital discharge
  2. Patients with lung cancer confirmed strongly suspected.
  3. Patients with severe immunosuppression, such as severe neutropenia (<500 neutrófilos/mm3), use of corticosteroids in doses above 0.5 mg / kg / day of prednisone or equivalent for at least 2 weeks, transplantation of solid organs or cells hematopoietic, use of immunosuppressants for any other reason (eg. azathioprine or cyclosporine), hipogamagloulinemia
  4. Patients with asplenia in any order
  5. Pregnant
  6. Patients with known HIV infection
  7. Stay indicated only for social reasons
  8. Patients on antibiotics for any other reason
  9. Patients with multiple trauma, burns or surgery grid size in the last 5 days

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Group 1- C-reactive protein (CRP) guided antibiotic therapyCRPIntervention on antibiotic therapy will be based on circulating RCP levels
Group 2 - procalcitonin (PCT) guided antibiotic therapyPCTIntervention on antibiotic therapy will be based on circulating PCT levels
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Total antibiotic exposure days per 1,000 days28 days
Duration of antibiotic therapy for the first episode of infection28 days
Days alive without antibiotics28 days
Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
All cause 28-day mortality28 days
In-hospital mortality28 days
Nosocomial infection rate28 days
Isolation of resistant bacteria28 days
Length of hospitalization stayWhole hospitalization
Nosocomial superinfection (diagnosed more than 48hous after discontinuation of the antibiotic therapy given to the first episode of infection)28 days
All cause 90-day mortality90 days
costs of hospitalizationWhole hospitalization
clinical cure rate28 days
Infection relapse (diagnosed less than 48h after antibiotic discontinuation)28 days

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Hospital das Clínicas - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

🇧🇷

Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

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