Procalcitonin Test

Doctors order a procalcitonin test:

• To diagnose sepsis and bacterial infections like meningitis
• To look for kidney damage in children with urinary tract infections
• To determine the severity of sepsis
• To determine if the cause of infection is bacterial
• To monitor the efficacy of antibiotic treatment
• To check for the development of a secondary bacterial infection in people with tissue damage due to trauma, surgery or non-bacterial infections

This test may also be ordered to seriously ill people who show the following symptoms of sepsis:

• Fever, chills and shivering
• Confusion
• Sweating
• Rapid heartbeats
• Extreme pain
• Very low blood pressure
• Shortness of breath
• Decreased frequency of urination

A procalcitonin test is mostly performed in people who have been admitted to the hospital or visit the emergency room for medical care.

No preparations are required for this test.

Procalcitonin test is performed on a blood sample. A laboratory technician will use a sterile syringe to withdraw the required amount of blood from a vein in your arm. You may feel a slight sting as the needle goes in.

After the test, some people tend to feel temporary dizziness or lightheadedness. However, it is nothing to worry about. If you notice a persistent bruise or an infection at the blood withdrawal site, please talk to your doctor.

Normal results:

For infants below the age of 72 hours, a reference value has not been established. For adults and children above 72 hours of age, the reference value is 0.15 ng/mL (nanograms per millilitre) or less. 

Abnormal results:

If the procalcitonin levels are slightly elevated (0.15-2 ng/mL), it may be associated with the following conditions:

• Mild-to-moderate localised bacterial infection
• End-stage renal failure that was untreated
• Non-infectious systemic inflammatory response

Conditions in which procalcitonin levels are elevated above 2 ng/mL include:

• Bacterial sepsis
• Severe non-infectious inflammatory conditions (e.g., severe trauma, severe burns, acute multiorgan failure, major abdominal or cardiothoracic surgery)
• Severe localised bacterial infection (e.g., severe pneumonia, meningitis)
• Medullary thyroid carcinoma (procalcitonin may exceed 10000 ng/mL)

Children suffering from urinary tract infection may have a procalcitonin level of more than 0.5 ng/mL if there is kidney damage.

In newborns younger than 72 hours, the following procalcitonin levels may indicate a serious bacterial infection:

• More than 1 ng/mL at birth
• 100 ng/mL or higher at 24 hours of age
• 50 ng/mL or higher at 48 hours of age

Disclaimer: All results must be clinically correlated with the patient’s complaints to make a complete and accurate diagnosis. The above information is provided from a purely educational point of view and is in no way a substitute for medical advice by a qualified doctor.