Clinical Scorecard: Minimal Incidence of Bacterial Coinfection Upon Hospital Admission in COVID-19 Patients and the Utility of Procalcitonin as a Exclusionary Biomarker

At a Glance

Key Highlights

• Low rates of bacterial coinfection reported at hospital admission.

• Procalcitonin levels measured routinely to aid in distinguishing bacterial infections.

• Study conducted in a large cohort with predefined diagnostic criteria.

• Microbiological investigations included various sampling methods.

• Patients managed according to standardized institutional protocols.

Guideline-Based Recommendations

Diagnosis

• Bacterial coinfection defined as microbiologically confirmed infection within 48 hours of hospitalization.

Management

• Antiviral and immunomodulatory therapies administered based on institutional criteria.

Monitoring & Follow-up

• Follow-up throughout hospitalization and after discharge through scheduled outpatient visits.

Risks

• High antibiotic prescribing despite low prevalence of bacterial coinfection.

Patient & Prescribing Data

Adults hospitalized primarily for clinically significant COVID-19.

Incorporation of procalcitonin testing into clinical care for decision-making.

Clinical Best Practices

• Utilize procalcitonin levels to guide antibiotic therapy decisions.

• Implement standardized diagnostic protocols for bacterial infections in COVID-19 patients.

• Conduct comprehensive microbiological investigations when clinically indicated.

Related Resources & Content

1. Original study: Low prevalence of bacterial coinfection at hospital admission in COVID-19 and the role of procalcitonin as a rule-out biomarker

2. Negative predictive value of procalcitonin to rule out bacterial respiratory coinfection in critically ill patients with COVID-19

3. How to best use procalcitonin to diagnose infections and manage antibiotic treatment

4. Few bacterial coinfections but frequent empirical antibiotic use in hospitalized patients with COVID-19

5. Procalcitonin-guided antibiotic use during the first wave of COVID-19

6. Impact of procalcitonin testing on antibiotic use in hospitalized patients during the first COVID-19 wave