Procalcitonin guidance for antibiotic cessation improves short-term mortality in ICU patients. Previous meta-analyses showed that procalcitonin-guided antimicrobial management, compared with standard care, resulted in less overall antibiotic exposure in intensive care unit (ICU) patients; however, differences in mortality or length of stay were not detected (NEJM JW Hosp Med Oct 2011 and Crit Care Med 2011; 39:1792). In a new meta-analysis, researchers evaluated data from 15 randomized, controlled trials (>6000 ICU patients, and including 2 large recent trials that were not available in previous meta-analyses) that used procalcitonin as a marker of new or ongoing bacterial infection.

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