Llewelyn, Martin J, Grozeva, Detelina, Howard, Philip, Euden, Joanne, Gerver, Sarah M, Hope, Russell, Heginbothom, Margaret, Powell, Neil, Richman, Colin, Shaw, Dominick, Thomas-Jones, Emma, West, Robert M, Carrol, Enitan D, Pallmann, Philip, Sandoe, Jonathan A T and PEACH study team, (2022) Impact of introducing procalcitonin testing on antibiotic usage in acute NHS hospitals during the first wave of COVID-19 in the UK: a controlled interrupted time series analysis of organisation-level data. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. ISSN 0305-7453

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Abstract

Background
Blood biomarkers have the potential to help identify COVID-19 patients with bacterial coinfection in whom antibiotics are indicated. During the COVID-19 pandemic, procalcitonin testing was widely introduced at hospitals in the UK to guide antibiotic prescribing. We have determined the impact of this on hospital-level antibiotic consumption.

Methods
We conducted a retrospective, controlled interrupted time series analysis of organization-level data describing antibiotic dispensing, hospital activity and procalcitonin testing for acute hospitals/hospital trusts in England and Wales during the first wave of COVID-19 (24 February to 5 July 2020).

Results
In the main analysis of 105 hospitals in England, introduction of procalcitonin testing in emergency departments/acute medical admission units was associated with a statistically significant decrease in total antibiotic use of −1.08 (95% CI: −1.81 to −0.36) DDDs of antibiotic per admission per week per trust. This effect was then lost at a rate of 0.05 (95% CI: 0.02–0.08) DDDs per admission per week. Similar results were found specifically for first-line antibiotics for community-acquired pneumonia and for COVID-19 admissions rather than all admissions. Introduction of procalcitonin in the ICU setting was not associated with any significant change in antibiotic use.

Conclusions
At hospitals where procalcitonin testing was introduced in emergency departments/acute medical units this was associated with an initial, but unsustained, reduction in antibiotic use. Further research should establish the patient-level impact of procalcitonin testing in this population and understand its potential for clinical effectiveness.

Item Type:	Article
Schools and Departments:	Brighton and Sussex Medical School > Global Health and Infection
SWORD Depositor:	Mx Elements Account
Depositing User:	Mx Elements Account
Date Deposited:	15 Feb 2022 11:43
Last Modified:	27 Apr 2023 09:29
URI:	http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/103751

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