PROACTIVE study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
PROcalcitonin for AntibiotiC Therapy In paediatric intensiVE care unit
IRAS ID
119747
Contact name
Reinout Mildner
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Birmingham Children's Hospital
Research summary
We are conducting a small study on 50 children who are given antibiotics because they are thought to have a Healthcare Associated Infection. We want to see whether doing a blood test called Procalcitonin could help us use antibiotics better.
Procalcitonin (PCT) is a chemical substance found in the blood in very low levels in good health. The level of PCT rises when somebody has an infection and quickly falls again as antibiotics begin to work.
Any infection that happens after a patient is admitted to hospital is called a healthcare associated infection (HCAI). Even with the best care, critically ill children are more likely to get an HCAI. They often need lines for blood sampling and delivering strong medications, catheters for accurate measurement of urine output and breathing tubes for the ventilator to effectively support their breathing. All of these can occasionally be a source of infection.
There is no clear guidance on how long antibiotics should be used for in these infections. This often leads to antibiotic overuse, therefore increasing the risk of bacteria becoming resistant, risk of complications and overall costs.
Measuring PCT levels to guide antibiotic treatment has been shown to reduce antibiotic exposure in adults. The children in our study would get standard antibiotics and medical or surgical treatments as per current guidelines. However, by measuring the PCT level daily from leftover blood samples in the lab and looking back retrospectively with the use of predefined procalcitonin based algorithms, we will assess how many days of antibiotic treatment could have been avoided had the clinical team known the PCT level and what the potential cost saving would be
REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/WM/0227
Date of REC Opinion
27 Jun 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion