1995. Serial Procalcitonin Measurement in a Community Intensive Care Unit: Is There Value in the Setting of an Established Antibiotic Stewardship Program?

BACKGROUND: Procalcitonin (PCT) monitoring has been shown to result in reduced antibiotic use without an impact on patient outcomes. However, the real-world value of this biomarker has yet to be determined, particularly when efforts to optimize antibiotic use are already in place. We evaluated the feasibility and impact of PCT-guided antibiotic duration combined with an established antibiotic stewardship program (ASP) in a community hospital intensive care unit (ICU) in Toronto, Canada. METHODS: We conducted a quality improvement initiative in our ICU from November 2017 to October 2018 measuring daily PCT levels for immunocompetent patients receiving antibiotic therapy for suspected or proven bacterial infection with an expected duration between 48 hours and 21 days. Our protocol recommended stopping antibiotic therapy if PCT fell below 0.5 μg/L (absolute threshold) or if it dropped more than 80% from its peak value (relative threshold). ASP rounds took place twice weekly since 2013, integrating a regular discussion about PCT levels once this initiative was implemented. We evaluated the adherence to stopping criteria within 48h, antibiotic use (days of therapy per 1,000 patient-days), length of stay, 48h re-admission, and ICU-mortality. Interrupted time series with segmented regression was performed to evaluate pre-post intervention differences compared with the 12-months prior to implementation. RESULTS: A total of 297 antibiotic courses were monitored with PCT in 217 patients. Respiratory (62%), unknown infection (11%), and intra-abdominal infection (7%) were the most common reasons for antibiotics. Protocol adherence was 34% (absolute threshold: 39%, relative threshold: 12%). Adherence by ICU physician varied widely between 24% and 52%. Antibiotic use pre-PCT was 1,002 DOTs/1,000 PDs and post-PCT was 817 DOTs/1,000 PDs (adjusted change −15%, 95% CI: −28% to +8%) (Figure 1). No statistically significant changes in clinical outcomes were noted. CONCLUSION: In the context of an active ASP in a community hospital ICU, PCT monitoring was associated with a non-significant decrease in antibiotic use. Further evaluation of reasons for inter-physician variability in adherence and opportunities for improved and sustained overall adherence should be explored. [Image: see text] DISCLOSURES: All authors: No reported disclosures.