Limited Utility of Procalcitonin in Identifying Community-Associated Bacterial Infections in Patients Presenting with Coronavirus Disease 2019

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2021 Mar 18;65(4):e02167-20. doi: 10.1128/AAC.02167-20. Print 2021 Mar 18.

Abstract

The role of procalcitonin in identifying community-associated bacterial infections among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 is not yet established. In 2,443 patients of whom 148 had bacterial coinfections, mean procalcitonin levels were significantly higher with any bacterial infection (13.16 ± 51.19 ng/ml; P = 0.0091) and with bacteremia (34.25 ± 85.01 ng/ml; P = 0.0125) than without infection (2.00 ± 15.26 ng/ml). Procalcitonin (cutoff, 0.25 or 0.50 ng/ml) did not reliably identify bacterial coinfections but may be useful in excluding bacterial infection.

Keywords: COVID-19; antimicrobial stewardship; procalcitonin.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Bacteremia / drug therapy
  • Bacteremia / microbiology
  • Bacterial Infections / drug therapy*
  • Bacterial Infections / microbiology
  • Bacterial Infections / virology
  • COVID-19 / microbiology*
  • Coinfection / drug therapy
  • Coinfection / microbiology
  • Coinfection / virology
  • Community-Acquired Infections / drug therapy*
  • Community-Acquired Infections / microbiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Procalcitonin / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Procalcitonin