• Department of Geriatrics,Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University. Shanghai, 200233, ChinaCorresponding Author: ZHONG Yuan, E-mail: zhongyuan60@ yahoo. com. cn;
Asthma; Procalcitonin; Antibiotics
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Objective  To investigate the value of procalcitonin-guided treatment on antibiotic use in severe acute exacerbations of asthma.
Methods  From April 2008 to December 2010, a total of 77 patients with severe acute exacerbations of asthma were randomly assigned into a PCT group ( n =38) and a control group ( n=39) . The serum concentration of procalcitonin ( PCT) were measured in all patients. On the base of similar routine treatment, the control group received antibiotics based on the physician’s decision.Meanwhile the PCT group were treated with antibiotics according to serum PCT levels: antibiotic treatment was applied with PCT level ≥0. 25ng/mL and was discontinoued with PCT level  lt; 0. 25ng/mL. Length of hospitalization, duration of antibiotics, cost of antibiotics, clinical efficacy were observed.
Results  The duration of antibiotics use in the PCT group [ 7 ( 5 ～11) d] was shorter than that in the control group [ 11( 7 ～16) d] ( Z = - 2. 26, P = 0. 025) , and the cost of antibiotics in the PCT group [
2125( 1560 ～4347) yuan] was lower than that in the control group [
3588 ( 2677 ～5280) yuan] ( Z = - 2. 01, P =
0. 033) . The clinical efficacy and length of hospitalization were similar in two groups ( P  gt; 0. 05) .
Conclusion  PCT guidance can reduce antibiotic duration and antibiotic cost in treatment of acute severe exacerbations of asthma.

Citation： LONG Wei,DENG Xingqi,ZHANG Xuemin,XIE Juan,YANG Jingye,ZHONG Yuan. Procalcitonin Guidance of Antibiotic Therapy in Acute Exacerbations of Severe Asthma. Chinese Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2012, 11(5): 444-447. doi: Copy