Blood Procalcitonin Levels and Duration of Antibiotics in Neonatal Sepsis

Objective: To determine the time to normalization of procalcitonin (PCT) levels and duration of antibiotics in neonatal sepsis. Methods: A prospective observational study design was used. The participants included were neonates with sepsis. The primary outcome measure was time to normalization of PCT levels and duration of antibiotics following clinical resolution. Results: Time to normalization of PCT levels was 9.6 +/- 4.2 days in neonates with septic shock, 6.2 +/- 2.5 days in neonates without shock, 9.6 +/- 3.1 days in neonates with culture-positive sepsis and 6.4 +/- 3.1 days in neonates with culture-negative sepsis. Time to normalization of PCT levels according to the stage of systemic inflammatory response syndrome was 5.8 +/- 2.8 days in neonates with sepsis, 6.1 +/- 3.1 days in those with sepsis syndrome, 6.3 +/- 3.3 days in those with early septic shock and 9.4 +/- 3.6 days in those with multiorgan dysfunction syndrome. There was no morbidity and mortality in any neonate in the 4-week follow-up. Conclusion: The duration of antibiotics can be determined by observing the time to normalization of PCT following clinical resolution of sepsis.