Main outcome measures
| Variable | PCT-based algorithm (n=30) | Controls (n=28) | RR (95% CI) | p |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patients on antibiotics at day 5, n (%) | ||||
| Survivors only | 18/27 (67%) | 21/26 (81%) | 0.83 (0.60 to 1.14) | 0.24 |
| All patients with non-survivors considered as being antibiotic-free | 18/30 (60%) | 21/28 (75%) | 0.80 (0.56 to 1.15) | 0.22 |
| All patients with non-survivors considered as being treated with antibiotic | 21/30 (70%) | 23/28 (82%) | 0.85 (0.64 to 1.14) | 0.28 |
| All patients with last information carried over for non-survivors | 18/30 (60%) | 22/28 (79%) | 0.76 (0.54 to 1.08) | 0.13 |
| Days on antibiotic therapy | 5 (2–5) | 5 (3–5) | 0.52 | |
| Antibiotic therapy-free days | 0 (0–3) | 0 (0–2) | ||
| Days on mechanical ventilation | 11 (5–25) | 14 (8–25) | 0.56 | |
| SOFA score | ||||
| At day 3 | 8 (5–10) | 8 (7–11) | 0.85 | |
| At day 5 | 8 (5–9) | 8 (7–11) | 0.61 | |
| Mortality | ||||
| At day 5 | 3/31 (10%) | 3/31 (10%) | 1.00 (0.22 to 4.58) | 1.00 |
| At ICU discharge | 7/31 (23%) | 10/30 (33%) | 0.68 (0.30 to 1.55) | 0.40 |
| At hospital discharge | 7/31 (23%) | 10/30 (33%) | 0.68 (0.30 to 1.55) | 0.40 |
| Length of stay, days | ||||
| In ICU | 22 (8–42) | 23 (10–60) | 0.58 | |
| In hospital | 27 (9–49) | 33 (11–69) | 0.22 |
Continuous variables are expressed as medians and IQR.
Mortality data are reported for all randomised patients, regardless of consent withdrawal.
ICU, intensive care unit; PCT, procalcitonin; RR, relative risk; SOFA, Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment.