What it means
The body makes little procalcitonin in health. Bacterial infections, and especially sepsisSEP-sisA severe whole-body response to an infection that damages the body's own organs.Full entry , make the level rise within hours, while viral infections raise it much less. Providers use it alongside other tests to judge how likely a bacterial infection is and when it may be safe to stop antibiotics.
At a glance
| Normal range | Very low in healthy adults, usually below 0.1 ng/mL [below 0.1 µg/L]; each lab sets its own range and cutoffs. |
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Related terms
sepsis
A severe whole-body response to an infection that damages the body's own organs.
antibiotic
A drug that kills bacteria or stops them from growing.
C-reactive protein
A protein made by the liver whose blood level rises when there is inflammation somewhere in the body.