NCT00914550

Trial name or title	Use of procalcitonin level for guidance of the treatment of suspected community acquired pneumonia
Methods	Observational model: case control
Participants	Inclusion criteria: Adults New radiographic findings consistent with the presence of infiltrates Antibiotic therapy Exclusion criteria: Critically ill patients on admission
Interventions	Procalcitonin testing
Outcomes	Primary outcome measure: Differences in antibiotic discontinuation as an effect of the caregivers learning procalcitonin levels for the therapy of new radiographic lung infiltrates
Starting date	June 2009
Contact information
Notes	Quote: "The purpose of the study is to learn if a blood test is helpful to the doctors in deciding whether you need antibiotic therapy for possible pneumonia. The blood test is called a Procalcitonin level and sometimes the test reflects infection with certain bacteria (germs). When the doctors learn the results of these blood tests, they may be able to stop some of the antibiotic medications that they may have given to the patients. The study is designed, so that on a randomised basis (50/50 chance) the results from measuring Procalcitonin will be given to the patients' doctor. When the doctor receives these results, he/she may use this information, along with other information, to decide whether to continue antibiotic therapy."