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SepsisNCT01085994

Procalcitonin Monitoring May Decrease Antibiotic Use in the Intensive Care Unit

An observational study of Sepsis, run by University of Athens at 1 site in Greece.

Unknown status

Status not confirmed. The sponsor has not verified this record for over two years, so it may be out of date.

Official record
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Trial summary

Sepsis is common and is associated with significant mortality, morbidity and health-care costs. Unfortunately, its diagnosis is not straightforward because its signs and symptoms are neither specific nor sensitive; in addition, microbiological cultures lack specificity, sensitivity and are plagued by high turn-around… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Any age
Conditions the study is for
Sepsis
What is being tested?
Literature search
How many people
Not given
Where
1 siteGreece
Study dates
Jan 2010to Mar 2010
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages Any age
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Study population: We will systematically search PubMed, Scopus and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials to identify relevant randomized controlled trials by using the following search terms: procalcitonin AND ("critically ill" OR "intensive care" OR "critical care"). The reference lists of the initially retrieved articles will also be reviewed. Abstracts of conference proceedings will not be sought because they commonly present data that differ from the full publications. Finally, the corresponding authors of each one of the included studies will be contacted by e-mail for additional information and clarifications if needed.

Who may be able to join

  • Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that report on the outcomes of critically ill patients managed with a procalcitonin-guided algorithm versus routine practice.
  • Participants of any age with proven or suspected sepsis will be considered. - As routine practice, the investigators will consider the institution and discontinuation of antibiotics by the attending physicians with the aid of clinical signs, symptoms, microbiological data, well established laboratory parameters (i.e., white blood cell count) and widely accepted guidelines but without the knowledge of PCT values. The investigators will set no limitations regarding the time, country or language of publications. The investigators will search for trials conducted in critically ill neonates and children.

Who cannot join

  • The investigators will exclude studies that are not RCTs and studies performed outside the ICU, namely in the primary care setting, the emergency department or the clinic.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Greece1 site
  • University of Athens - Medical School

    Athens

Other trials in Greece

About this study

Official title: Procalcitonin-guided Algorithms of Antibiotic Stewardship in the Intensive Care Unit: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Sepsis is common and is associated with significant mortality, morbidity and health-care costs. Unfortunately, its diagnosis is not straightforward because its signs and symptoms are neither specific nor sensitive; in addition, microbiological cultures lack specificity, sensitivity and are plagued by high turn-around times. Because the delay in the institution of antimicrobial therapy may be deleterious, broad-spectrum antibiotics are widely used in ICU-patients, even when they are not needed. Procalcitonin may not be the long sought for bio-marker to establish the diagnosis of sepsis but may help decrease the duration of the administered antibiotic courses once they are started.

Read the detailed description

Recently, a number of studies have shown the utility of procalcitonin (PCT) measurements in reducing the duration of antibiotic treatment in patients with respiratory tract infections presenting to the primary care setting or the emergency department. However, it remains unclear if a similar strategy can be effectively and safely implemented in the critical care setting. We attempt to address the controversy on this issue, by collecting, analyzing and interpreting the currently available relevant evidence. To this end, a systematic review and meta-analysis of the randomized controlled trials reporting on the outcomes of critically ill septic patients managed with or without a procalcitonin-based algorithm will be performed.

Conditions
Sepsis
Being tested
Literature search
Keywords
antibiotics, resistance, bio-marker, procalcitonin, algorithm, critically ill
Medical subject headings
Sepsis, Critical Illness

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Literature searchOther

    Literature search followed by systematic review and meta-analysis

Study groups in NCT01085994
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Procalcitonin-guided groupNot described
Receives: Other: Literature search
Routine practice groupNot described
Receives: Other: Literature search

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Duration of antibiotic treatment for the first episode of infection

  2. Total duration of antibiotic therapy

  3. Antibiotic-free days at 28 days after study enrollment

Secondary outcomes (8)
  1. 28-day mortality

  2. In-hospital mortality

  3. Length of ICU stay

  4. Length of hospital stay

  5. Days free of mechanical ventilation at 28 days after study enrollment

  6. Rates of relapsed/persistent infection

  7. Rate of superinfection

  8. Financial cost of implementing a procalcitonin-based algorithm: purchase of the laboratory equipment/reagents, cost of the administered antibiotics, charges for hospital stay etc

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted12 Mar 2010 (estimated)
  2. Study startJan 2010
  3. Primary completionFeb 2010 (estimated)
  4. Study completionMar 2010 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01085994
Sponsor's protocol ID
PCT-2010
Status last verified
Jan 2010
First submitted
11 Mar 2010
Last updated
7 Oct 2010
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Schuetz P, Christ-Crain M, Thomann R, Falconnier C, Wolbers M, Widmer I, Neidert S, Fricker T, Blum C, Schild U, Regez K, Schoenenberger R, Henzen C, Bregenzer T, Hoess C, Krause M, Bucher HC, Zimmerli W, Mueller B; ProHOSP Study Group. Effect of procalcitonin-based guidelines vs standard guidelines on antibiotic use in lower respiratory tract infections: the ProHOSP randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2009 Sep 9;302(10):1059-66. doi: 10.1001/jama.2009.1297.

    PubMed 19738090
  • Bouadma L, Luyt CE, Tubach F, Cracco C, Alvarez A, Schwebel C, Schortgen F, Lasocki S, Veber B, Dehoux M, Bernard M, Pasquet B, Regnier B, Brun-Buisson C, Chastre J, Wolff M; PRORATA trial group. Use of procalcitonin to reduce patients' exposure to antibiotics in intensive care units (PRORATA trial): a multicentre randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2010 Feb 6;375(9713):463-74. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61879-1. Epub 2010 Jan 25.

    PubMed 20097417
  • Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG; PRISMA Group. Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. Ann Intern Med. 2009 Aug 18;151(4):264-9, W64. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-151-4-200908180-00135. Epub 2009 Jul 20. No abstract available.

    PubMed 19622511
  • Kopterides P, Siempos II, Tsangaris I, Tsantes A, Armaganidis A. Procalcitonin-guided algorithms of antibiotic therapy in the intensive care unit: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Crit Care Med. 2010 Nov;38(11):2229-41. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0b013e3181f17bf9.

    PubMed 20729729

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Sepsis, run by University of Athens at 1 site in Greece.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 7 Oct 2010. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Greece. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Results are not available in the source record.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Duration of antibiotic treatment for the first episode of infection. The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT01085994, which also lists 4 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 7 Oct 2010.

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