Serum procalcitonin-based application of antibiotics in children with lower respiratory tract infection

Objective To investigate the application and result of procalcitonin detection in children with lower respiratory tract infection.Methods Two hundred lower respiratory tract infection children treated in the Department of Pediatrics of our hospital from August 2012 to March 2013 were divided into standard antibiotic treatment group(control group,n = 100) and serum procalcitonin-based antibiotic treatment group(procalcitonin group,n =100).The disappeared time of symptoms and signs,length and cost of hospitalization,treatment efficacy,usage rate,length and cost of antibiotics treatment were compared between two groups.Results There were no significant differences in the total effective rate and disappeared time of symptoms and signs between two groups(P 0.05).However,the length and cost of hospitalization,usage rate and length of antibiotics treatment,and antibiotic charges were all lower in serum procalcitonin-based antibiotic treatment group than those in the control group(all P 0.05).Conclusion Serum procalcitonin-based treatment for children with lower respiratory tract infection can significantly reduce the length and cost of hospitalization,and usage rate,length and cost of antibiotics treatment.