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Initiation Of Procalcitonin Screening As A Marker In Antibiotic Therapy De-Escalation, Briana Kile
Initiation Of Procalcitonin Screening As A Marker In Antibiotic Therapy De-Escalation, Briana Kile
Dissertations
Problem: The overuse of antibiotics has created antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
resulting in treatment failure for bacterial infections. To combat AMR, clinicians should
only prescribe antibiotic therapy when clinically warranted. It is easy to misdiagnose a
viral infection. However, any delay in the initiation of antibiotic therapy in a bacterial
infection may lead to increased morbidity and mortality. These patients with non-specific
clinical symptoms may be misdiagnosed without a rapid and definitive diagnostic test.
Methods: This quality improvement (QI) initiative utilized an evidence-based clinical
guideline for procalcitonin (PCT) levels for antibiotic therapy de-escalation. WBC counts
were collected two-days and one-day before …