Journal of global antimicrobial resistance
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J Glob Antimicrob Resist · Dec 2014
ReviewOptimal duration of antimicrobial therapy in ventilator-associated pneumonia: What is the role for procalcitonin?
Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) is the major cause of hospital-acquired infections in critically ill patients. Up to 90% of intensive care unit episodes of HAP occur in mechanically ventilated patients, who may develop what is termed ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). ⋯ In these trials, short-course regimens were as effective and safe as long-course regimens for the treatment of VAP, provided that infection was not due to difficult-to-treat micro-organisms such as non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli. In addition, strategies incorporating individualised stop-points for antibiotics, i.e. clinical features or biomarkers such as procalcitonin, were shown to reduce antibiotic exposure, healthcare costs and the risk of developing antimicrobial resistance, without negatively affecting other outcomes.