Procalcitonin Aided Antibiotic Stewardship: The New Paradigm

How to Maximize Clinical and Economic Outcomes

The biomarker procalcitonin (PCT) is helping clinicians identify and treat bacterial infections in patients who are at risk of developing sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock. Early antibiotic intervention is critical for these patients, but clinicians must also reduce any unnecessary antibiotics to help minimize the development of bacterial antibiotic resistance.

Bacterial and viral infections produce a wide range of signs and symptoms, and the lack of specific biomarker results can lead clinicians to prescribe antibiotics as a precaution. However, up to 50% of hospital-prescribed antibiotics are unnecessary. The use of PCT as a biomarker can help to assess severity and choice of therapies, ultimately supporting better antibiotic stewardship.

In this P.A.C.E.-accredited Fisher Healthcare webinar, Michael Broyles, BSPharm, RPH, PharmD, will describe PCT pathophysiology and kinetics during infection and PCT-aided antibiotic stewardship, compare the costs and outcomes of PCT-aided antibiotic therapy decisions, and share the cost components and value drivers of PCT testing that have the most impact.

Learning Objectives

This webinar will help you:

• Describe the pathophysiology and kinetics of PCT during sepsis and infection
• Discuss PCT-aided antibiotic stewardship in sepsis and lower respiratory tract infections
• Compare the costs and outcomes of PCT-aided antibiotic therapy vs. standard care in published studies
• Summarize the critical cost components and value drivers of PCT testing

Watch On Demand      Download Slides (PDF, 2MB)

This webinar is produced by Whitehat Communications, a provider of continuing education programs in clinical laboratory sciences that has been approved by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.™ Program. One P.A.C.E. credit hour will be provided for this complimentary, basic-level program.

Michael Broyles, BSPharm, RPh, PharmD

Dr. Broyles is the Director of Pharmacy and Laboratory Services at Five Rivers Medical Center in Pocahontas, Arkansas. He earned his BSPharm in pharmaceutical sciences from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and his PharmD from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. With more than 25 years of experience as a hospital pharmacy and laboratory director, Broyles enjoys educating patients about current treatment options for medication.