| Ordering Code | 6008 |
|---|---|
| Test Name | Procalcitonin |
| Alias | PCT |
| Preferred Specimen | Plasma |
| Preferred Container | Lithium Heparin PST (Green) |
| Other Specimen/Container | Serum in Plain (Red), Serum SST (Gold), Plasma in Lithium Heparin (Dark Green - PP no gel) |
| Optimum Volume | 0.5 mL |
| Handling Instructions | All specimen types are centrifuged within 2 hours of collection. If no gel separation present in tube, plasma/serum is aliquoted from cells within 2 hours of collection. |
| Transport Requirements | Oahu: Refrigerated Airline: Frozen |
| Specimen Stability | Ambient: 24 Hours Refrigerated: 48 Hours Frozen: 3 Months Freeze and thaw only once. |
| Rejection Criteria | Insufficient quantity, Specimen older than stability limits, Thawed |
| Avail. Stat | Patients of the testing hospital only |
| Analytic Time | 1 Day |
| Methodology | Electrochemiluminescence binding assay |
Reference range(s)
The reference ranges listed below are valid on this date of April 18, 2024.
| Component | Age | Male Norm | Male Critical Low | Male Critical High | Female Norm | Female Critical High | Female Critical Low | Units | Add'l info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Procalcitonin | ALL | <0.05 | <0.05 | ng/mL | A PCT... Note1 |
Note1:
A PCT concentration of greater than or equal to 0.1 ng/mL most likely indicates a clinically relevant bacterial infection and a PCT value of greater than 0.5 ng/mL most likely indicates that the patient may be at a higher risk for developing severe sepsis or septic shock. Further information can be found in the following document: https://dlslab.com/procalcitonin/ .