ArticleBMC infectious diseases2020
Hospital physicians' experiences with procalcitonin - implications for antimicrobial stewardship; a qualitative study.
Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- Beyond the algorithm: reframing biomarker-guided antibiotic stewardship with behavioural insights.The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy · 2026Article
- Procalcitonin use in febrile children attending European emergency departments: a prospective multicenter study.BMC pediatrics · 2025Article
- Are C-reactive protein and procalcitonin safe and useful for antimicrobial stewardship purposes in patients with COVID-19? A scoping review.Antimicrobial stewardship & healthcare epidemiology : ASHE · 2024Article
- Article
- The Role of Procalcitonin as an Antimicrobial Stewardship Tool in Patients Hospitalized with Seasonal Influenza.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Plethora of Antibiotics Usage and Evaluation of Carbapenem Prescribing Pattern in Intensive Care Units: A Single-Center Experience of Malaysian Academic Hospital.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Stemming the Rise of Antibiotic Use for Community-Acquired Acute Respiratory Infections during COVID-19 Pandemic.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Antimicrobial Stewardship Using Biomarkers: Accumulating Evidence for the Critically Ill.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Review
- A qualitative process evaluation of the introduction of procalcitonin testing as an antimicrobial stewardship intervention.International journal of clinical pharmacy · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundProcalcitonin is an inflammatory biomarker that is sensitive for bacterial infections and a promising clinical decision aid in antimicrobial stewardship programs. However, there are few studies of physicians' experiences concerning the use of PCT. The objective of this study was to investigate whether hospital physicians' experience with procalcitonin after 18 months of use can inform the PCT implementation in antimicrobial stewardship programs. MATERIALS/
methodsWe deployed a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews with 14 hospital physicians who had experience with procalcitonin in clinical practice. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis.
resultsPhysicians reported a knowledge gap, which made them uncertain about the appropriate procalcitonin use, interpretation, and trustworthiness. Simultaneously, the physicians experienced procalcitonin as a useful clinical decision aid but emphasised that their clinical evaluation of the patient was the most important factor when deciding on antibiotic treatment.
conclusionsProcalcitonin was regarded a helpful clinical tool, but the physicians called for more knowledge about its appropriate uses. Active implementation of unambiguous procalcitonin algorithms and physician education may enhance the utility of the test as an antimicrobial stewardship adjunct.
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