Evidence map›Paper›PMID 19034493›Full record

Trial reportLangenbeck's archives of surgery2009

Procalcitonin (PCT)-guided algorithm reduces length of antibiotic treatment in surgical intensive care patients with severe sepsis: results of a prospective randomized study.

S Schroeder, M Hochreiter, T Koehler, A-M Schweiger, B Bein, F S Keck, T von Spiegel

2 registry-linked trialsOpen access · bronzeAbstract readComparative StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Langenbeck's archives of surgery, 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 114 papers, 23 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
114citing papers in PubMed, 23 pooled it
4.8field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04291768 phase4recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2020, after this paper: background citation

Short Course Antibiotic Treatment of Gram-negative Bacteremia: A Multicenter, Randomized, Non-blinded, Non-inferiority Interventional Study

TypeinterventionalSponsorThomas BenfieldRan2020 to 2026Enrolled380ConditionsGram-negative Bacteremia, Urinary Tract Infection BacterialArmsShortened antibiotic treatment, Standard antibiotic treatment
NCT06395454 naunknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2024, after this paper: background citation

Procalcitonin as a Sepsis Biomarker in Guiding Antibiotics Treatment Duration in Ventilator Associated Pneumonia in Neuro-ICU: A Randomised Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversiti Sains MalaysiaRan2024 to 2025Enrolled48ConditionsAntibiotic Side EffectArmsShorten antibiotics duration based on procalcitonin test levels
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

114 citing papers in PubMed, 23 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 238 citations in OpenAlex.

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  2. Efficacy and Safety of Procalcitonin-Guided Antibiotic Therapy versus Standard of Care for Sepsis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Medical principles and practice : international journal of the Kuwait University, Health Science Centre · 2026
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  3. [S3 guideline on sepsis-prevention, diagnosis, therapy, and follow-up care-update 2025].Medizinische Klinik, Intensivmedizin und Notfallmedizin · 2025
    Guideline
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  16. Implementing an Antibiotic Stewardship Program: Guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2016
    Guideline
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54 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

S SchroederInterdisciplinary Intensive Care Unit, Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Westküstenklinikum, Heide, Germany. sschroeder@wkk-hei.de
M Hochreiter
T Koehler
A-M Schweiger
B Bein
F S Keck
T von Spiegel
Kiel University · DEWest Coast University of Applied Sciences · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAdequate indication and duration of administration are central issues of modern antibiotic treatment in intensive care medicine. The biochemical variable procalcitonin (PCT) is known to indicate systemically relevant bacterial infections with high accuracy. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the clinical usefulness of PCT for guiding antibiotic treatment in surgical intensive care patients with severe sepsis. PATIENTS AND

methodsPatients were randomly assigned to a PCT-guided or a control group requiring antibiotic treatment. All patients received a calculated antibiotic regimen according to the presumed microbiological spectrum. In the PCT-guided group, antibiotic treatment was discontinued if clinical signs of infection improved and the PCT value was either <1 ng/ml or decreased to <35% of the initial concentration within three consecutive days. In the control group, antibiotic treatment was directed by empirical rules.

resultsThe PCT-guided group (n = 14 patients) and the control group (n = 13 patients) did not differ in terms of biological variables, underlying diseases, and overall disease severity. PCT guidance led to a significant reduction of antibiotic treatment from 6.6 +/- 1.1 days (mean +/- SD) compared with 8.3 +/- 0.7 days in control patients (p < 0.001) along with a reduction of antibiotic treatment costs of 17.8% (p < 0.01) without any adverse effects on outcome.

conclusionsMonitoring of PCT is a helpful tool for guiding antibiotic treatment in surgical intensive care patients with severe sepsis. This may contribute to an optimized antibiotic regimen with beneficial effects on microbial resistances and costs in intensive care medicine.

Indexed as

AlgorithmsCritical CareAgedAged, 80 and overAnti-Bacterial AgentsCalcitoninCalcitonin Gene-Related PeptideC-Reactive ProteinDrug Administration ScheduleFemaleHospital MortalityHumansLength of StayMaleMiddle AgedPostoperative ComplicationsAnti-Bacterial AgentsCALCA protein, humanCalcitoninCalcitonin Gene-Related PeptideC-Reactive ProteinProtein Precursors

Identifiers

PMID19034493
OpenAlexW2052809746

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.