Procalcitonin (PCT) Lab Values

Objective:

Determine the significance and clinical use of measuring Procalcitonin in clinical practice

Lab Test Name:

 Procalcitonin- PCT

Description:

While procalcitonin is an amino acid that serves as a prohormone for calcitonin, its function is unrelated to calcitonin. Procalcitonin serves as an early indicator of systemic infection 

PCT

• Amino acid
• Prohormone to calcitonin
  • PCT function unrelated to calcitonin
• Highly sensitive detector of infection
  • Bacterial vs. viral
  • Infection vs. systemic inflammation

Indications:

• Diagnosis & severity of sepsis
• Pneumonia
• Meningitis
• Endocarditis
• Late stage CKD
• Acute exacerbation COPD
• UTI with renal involvement in children
• Evaluation of antibiotic therapy
• Trauma, burns, surgery

Normal Therapeutic Values:

Normal – 

• <0.05 ng/mL

Collection:

• Plasma separator preferred

What would cause increased levels?

Bacterial Etiology

• Sepsis
• Meningitis
• Pneumonia
• UTI

Conditions combined with infection where PCT would be elevated:

• Recent major surgery
• Severe trauma
• Severe burns
• Prolonged cardiogenic shock

What would cause decreased levels?

• Effective treatment of infection
• False lows – do not mean there is NO infection
  • Early course of localized infection
    • Empyema, osteomyelitis, endocarditis, etc.