Procalcitonin

General information:

Procalcitonin is a precursor of calcitonin, composed of 116 amino acids. The procalcitonin level reflects the extent of the systemic inflammatory response. Bacterial endotoxins play a crucial role in the process of inducing this protein. Other factors that affect the level of procalcitonin are: type and size of the infected organ, bacterial species, degree of inflammation and the state of immune reactivity of the body. Procalcitonin becomes detectable in the blood within 2-4 hours of the relevant cause, reaching maximum levels after 12-24 hours. In the absence of a persistent stimulus, this protein is eliminated, with a half-life of 24-35 hours. For this reason, the parameter can be used for dynamic patient monitoring. Elevated levels also occur in severe shock, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, and multiple organ failure syndrome, even in the absence of bacterial outbreaks. In these cases, procalcitonin levels are usually lower than in patients with established bacterial foci of infection.

Important!! Procalcitonin testing is recommended in Covid-19 cases to rule out secondary bacterial infections.

• Diagnosis of bacteremia and septicemia in adults and children (including newborns)
• Diagnosis of renal involvement in urinary tract infection in children
• Diagnosis of bacterial infection in neutropenic patients
• Diagnosis, risk stratification and follow-up of septic shock
• Diagnosis of systemic secondary infection after surgery and in severe trauma, burns and multi-organ failure
• Differential diagnosis of bacterial versus viral meningitis
• Differential diagnosis of community-acquired bacterial or viral pneumonias
• Monitoring the therapeutic response to antibacterial therapy

Recommendations for determination of procalcitonin:

• differential diagnosis of infections/inflammations (bacterial/non-bacterial);
• follow-up of patients at risk of infections to detect septic complications (postoperatively, after organ transplantation, during immunosuppressive treatment, after multiple traumas);
• to evaluate the prognosis and clinical evolution in patients with severe infectious / inflammatory diseases: peritonitis, respiratory distress syndrome in adults of bacterial cause, bacterial meningitis, pancreatitis of biliary etiology, sepsis in newborns, systemic inflammatory reaction and multiorgan failure.

Sample required:

Venous blood

Key words:

procalcitonin