Trial design
bacterial infection
PCT, BACTERIAL INFECTION
BATCH is a multi-centre, prospective, individually randomised, parallel, two-arm, controlled trial. The trial will assess the effectiveness of an additional PCT test in children (aged between 72 h and 18 years) hospitalised with suspected or confirmed bacterial infection to guide antimicrobial prescribing decisions.Co-primary outcomes (antibiotic duration and a composite safety outcome) will be used to answer the primary research objectives of the study. Differences in antibiotic duration will be investigated for superiority of the intervention over standard care, while differences in the composite safety outcome will be investigated for non-inferiority [