procalcitonin

The Procalcitonin test is used for determining the amount of procalcitonin that is produced in the body during the production of calcitonin, a hormone secreted by the thyroid gland. Sepsis, bacterial infection, tissue damage, trauma are some reasons that lead to abnormally high levels of procalcitonin.

There is no special preparation required before getting this test. The intravenous blood sample is collected for this test.

You can locate our nearest collection center on google maps. You can also get this test in the comfort of your home. You can opt for our home collection services while booking this test.

You might feel a sting while the needle is inserted to draw blood. On rare occasions after the sample is collected, the site might become irritated, turn reddish or swell.

Low levels of procalcitonin do not indicate an absence of any infection. Decreased levels of procalcitonin can indicate a local infection or a recent systemic infection, not more than six hours old. Lower levels might suggest that the symptoms might be due to viral infections, post-surgery trauma, rejection of transplant or reasons other than bacterial infections.

Procalcitonin levels may be elevated due to high levels of stress that might be due to trauma, surgery, cardiac shock or some autoimmune diseases. Patients suffering from certain cancers such as thyroid cancer, lung cancer, other diseases including pancreatitis, cirrhosis, ischemic bowel disease, or postoperative complications might have elevated procalcitonin levels.

Procalcitonin levels are directly associated with infection severity.Low procalcitonin levels in severely ill patients signify a lower risk of sepsis/septic shock.Levels of procalcitonin increase during various conditions including infections, tissue damage and higher levels mostly are associated with severe bacterial infections like meningitis or sepsis and potential risk of septic shock.For patients undergoing treatment for bacterial infections, decreasing or increasing procalcitonin levels can be used to determine the effectiveness of the treatment.