Procalcitonin

PCAT

PCT

1.0 mL plasma collected in a PST (LiHeparin tube)

30 uL

Plasma - Li Heparin (PST)
Plasma –EDTA (Lavender)
Gold top (SST)
Tiger top (SST)
Red top

Room Temperature: 24 hours at 15-25 deg C
Refrigerated: 48 hours at 2-8 deg C
Frozen: 24 months at -20 deg C

Samples not labeled with complete first and last name and date of birth.
Grossly hemolyzed

Sun - Sat

Same day

<0.10 ng/mL   3 days of birth (≥72 hours old) thru adult

All procalcitonin results from 3 days of age to adult will have the following comment:
<0.50 ng/mL              Low risk for progression to severe systemic infection and severe sepsis
≥0.50-<2.00 ng/mL    Moderate risk for progression to severe systemic infection and severe sepsis
≥2.00 ng/mL              High risk for progression to severe sepsis or septic shock

All neonates from birth 2 days of age will have the following comment:
Age in hours:             Procalcitonin (ng/mL)
At birth                       <2.00
18-20 hours                <20.00
48 hours                     <5.00

Procalcitonin (PCT) is a biomarker associated with the inflammatory response to bacterial infection that aids in the risk assessment of critically ill patients on their first day of ICU admission for progression to severe sepsis and septic shock. PCT is the prohormone of the hormone calcitonin, but PCT and calcitonin are distinct proteins. Calcitonin is exclusively produced by C-cells of the thyroid gland in response to hormonal stimuli, whereas PCT can be produced by several cell types and many organs in response to pro-inflammatory stimuli, in particular by bacterial products. By evaluating PCT concentrations, the physician may use the findings to aid in the risk assessment of critically ill patients for progression to severe sepsis and septic shock. In addition, the change of PCT levels over time offers information about the risk of mortality after diagnosis of severe sepsis or septic shock. Early after multiple traumas, major surgery, severe burns, or in neonates, PCT levels can be elevated independently of an infectious process, but the return to baseline is usually rapid. Viral infections, bacterial colonization, localized infections, allergic disorders, autoimmune diseases, and transplant rejection do not usually induce a significant PCT response (values < 0.5 μg/L). Therefore, PCT is an important marker enabling specific differentiation between a bacterial infection and other causes of inflammatory reactions.