Procalcitonin

Test Code

PROCALCITONIN

Alias/See Also

Chemistry

Preferred Specimen

Serum

Transport Temperature

Refrigerated serum <48hrs. If sample will arrive >48hours, serum must be frozen.

Specimen Stability

8 hrs room temp, 2 days refrigerated, 14 days frozen

Reference Range

Result (ng/mL)	Comment
<0.1	Bacterial infection highly unlikely. Consider alternative diagnosis
0.1 - 0.25	Bacterial infection unlikely. Consider alternative diagnosis
0.26 - 0.5	Bacterial infection likely
>0.5	Bacterial infection highly likely

Clinical Significance

<0.1: Bacterial infection highly unlikely. Consider alternative diagnosis
0.1-0.25: Bacterial infection unlikely. Consider alternative diagnosis
0.26-0.5: Bacterial infection likely
>0.5: Bacterial infection highly likely

Consider reassessment of PCT within 6 to 24 hours in:
1. All patients in whom antibiotics are withheld but who show clinical deterioration
2. High risk patients with an initial PCT <0.25 ng/mL.

In patients in whom antibiotics are initiated, PCT levels may be reassessed every 2 days until PCT decreases to <0.25 mg/L (or by at least 80% to 90% from the peak level)
Falsely high/low levels of PCT
Falsely high PCT: Examples include severe SIRS and shock, ARDS, trauma, postoperative, tumor (eg, medullary thyroid cancer, SCLC), fungal infection, malaria
Falsely low PCT: Examples include chronic abscesses e.g. empyema; atypical bacteria and mycobacterial infections

Performing Laboratory
Test performed at the West Roxbury Chemistry Lab
Contact Jonathan Dryjowicz-Burek 857-203-5418

Last Updated: April 29, 2020

The CPT Codes provided in this document are based on AMA guidelines and are for informational purposes only. CPT coding is the sole responsibility of the billing party. Please direct any questions regarding coding to the payor being billed. Any Profile/panel component may be ordered separately. Reflex tests are performed at an additional charge.