Procalcitonin to guide decisions on stopping antibiotics in people with confirmed or highly suspected sepsis

Status:

Awaiting development

Technology type:

Diagnostic

Decision:

Selected

Prioritisation programme:

HealthTech

Rationale:

A procalcitonin (PCT) test measures the level of procalcitonin, a protein that increases significantly in the blood during a serious bacterial infection, particularly sepsis. The test could help healthcare providers diagnose sepsis, distinguish bacterial from viral infections, assess the risk of severe infection, and guide decisions about antibiotic use. 

NICE DG18 Procalcitonin testing for diagnosing and monitoring sepsis found insufficient evidence in 2015 to recommend routine adoption in the NHS, and recommended further research on the use of PCT to guide decisions on stopping antibiotic treatment in people with confirmed or highly suspected sepsis in intensive care units. 

NICE NG51 Suspected sepsis: recognition, diagnosis and early management is currently being updated to consider updating existing recommendations on: rapid antigen testing and PCR tests; indicators of organ hypoperfusion; intravenous fluid therapy; vasopressors; risk factors for sepsis. During the current update, procalcitonin (PCT) testing was also indicated by the guideline committee as a possible area for update.

Given the new evidence for PCT guided treatment for sepsis from trials conducted in the NHS as well as other recent RCTs and meta-analyses, updating NG51 or DG18 to include the assessment clinical and cost-effectiveness istimely. 

Timeline

Key events during the development of the guidance:

For further information on our processes and methods, please see our CHTE processes and methods manual