Precalcitonin and C-reactive protein as markers in response to antibiotic treatment in ventilator-associated pneumonia in intensive care unit-hospitalized patients

Pneumonia due to ventilator is a prevalent nosocomial infection associated with high morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to determine the change in serum levels of precalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in response to antibiotic treatment in patients hospitalized in intense care unit (ICU) suffering from ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).

This is an analytical and descriptive study performed in 2013 in Ayatollah Kashani Medical Training Center, Isfahan, Iran. The statistical sample includes patients hospitalized in ICU in 2013 suffering from VAP. In this study, 50 patients suffering from VAP were selected, and PCT and CRP levels were measured in them before antibiotic therapy and every 48 h until the end of therapy. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS software.

CRP and PCT levels were high before the beginning of antibiotic therapy in all patients suffering from VAP and their CRP level had an increasing trend until 4 days after the beginning of therapy; however, from the 4th day, it turned into decreasing trend. PCT serum level was higher than normal before the treatment and until 48 h after the therapy, and then it was found to have a decreasing trend. According to variance analysis test with repetition of observations, the mean level of mentioned markers had a meaningful difference before the beginning of antibiotic therapy until the end of antibiotic therapy (P < 0.001).

CRP and PCT serum levels can be used as an instrument for determining the effect of antibiotic therapy in patients with VAP.