Reducing the overuse of antimicrobials is imperative for the sake of minimizing antimicrobial-associated adverse effects, optimizing resource utilization, and curtailing the rise in multidrug-resistant organisms. Biomarkers reflect the host responses to infection and may assist with minimizing unnecessary antimicrobial usage.

To review the literature pertaining to the performance of biomarkers specifically used to guide the duration of antimicrobial therapy (AMT).

Randomized controlled trials, observational studies, and meta-analyses assessing biomarker-guided approaches to AMT decision-making and their impact on the duration of therapy were reviewed.

Several randomized controlled trials and real-world observational studies have shown that a procalcitonin (PCT)-guided strategy can help clinicians individualize the duration of AMT, particularly among non-critically ill patients hospitalized with suspected respiratory tract infections when using a PCT cut-off value of <0.25 μg/L and critically ill patients with respiratory tract infections or undifferentiated sepsis when using a PCT cut-off value of <0.5 μg/L or ≥80% decline in the peak level. C-reactive protein is a non-specific marker of inflammation that may also assist with an early discontinuation of AMT; however, data are limited. Haematological biomarkers are prone to variance between individuals and are often influenced by medications and non-infectious conditions, making them less reliable for the purposes of AMT decision-making. Novel biomarkers such as multi-protein signatures and host gene expression tests have shown promise as tools to better differentiate between bacterial and non-bacterial infections; clinical studies are needed to determine whether they can be used to help optimize the duration of AMT.

Studies have demonstrated that a PCT-guided strategy, when utilized appropriately, can help guide clinicians to individualize and often reduce the duration of AMT, especially in patients hospitalized with respiratory tract infections and those admitted to the intensive care unit with suspected respiratory tract infections or sepsis. The impact of utilizing other biomarkers is less clear and requires further study.