A Test Used to Diagnose Sepsis
Aprocalcitonintest measures the risk of developing a potentially deadly bacterial infection calledsepsis.
Sepsis comes up whenever the body overreacts to abacterial infectionby releasing chemicals that can cause damaging inflammation.
Verywell / Laura Porter
What Is a Procalcitonin Test?
The procalcitonin test only requires a simpleblood draw.
It measures the amount of a substance called procalcitonin produced by many types of cells in the body.
Procalcitonin levels can increase significantly when there is a bacterial infection or some form of tissue injury.
The higher the level, the greater the likelihood of sepsis.
Other conditions can also increase procalcitonin but usually only to mild to moderate levels.
Having elevated procalcitonin does not necessarily mean you have sepsis.
It is simply an indication of a systemic infection that needs further investigation.
Other tests will be used to confirm the diagnosis.
When Is a Procalcitonin Test Used?
The procalcitonin test is ordered when there is a suspicion of sepsis.
It is only when the extreme inflammation begins to affect organs that severe symptoms will appear.
By testing procalcitonin levels early, doctors can prescribe treatment before the condition becomes serious or life-threatening.
Who Is at Risk of Sepsis?
They include:
What Do the Test Results Mean?
The procalcitonin test cannot diagnose infections.
Most sepsis cases are resulting from bacterial infections, but viral or fungal infections can also cause sepsis.
If the symptoms are severe but the procalcitonin level is low, the cause is more likely viral.
Higher procalcitonin levels indicate that the infection is probably bacterial.
What Causes High Procalcitonin?
Even so, high levels usually point to sepsis.
When procalcitonin levels are low to moderate, sepsis may be a possible cause.
But other causes may be to blame.
The test can also help differentiate between a bacterial and viral infection or a systemic or local infection.
The procalcitonin result is a guide, not a diagnosis.
People do not receive treatment based on a procalcitonin level alone.
The true value of the procalcitonin level is that it can lead to the early treatment of sepsis.
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