Procalcitonin

Abbreviation: PCT

Panel: Inflammation & Immune Markers · All inflammation tests

Typical adult reference range

Conventional units<0.1 ng/mL
SI units<0.1 ng/mL

Ranges vary between laboratories and methods — compare your result with the range printed on your own report.

What a high or low result can mean

High procalcitonin: high values can be seen in bacterial infection and sepsis, and after major surgery or trauma.

These are associations, not a diagnosis: the same result can have several causes, and your clinician interprets it with the rest of your results and history.

Good to know

Levels also rise in severe kidney impairment, which affects interpretation.

Please note: Reference ranges vary between laboratories, and between the methods and instruments they use — the range printed on your own report is the one your result should be compared with. A result outside the range is not by itself a diagnosis, and a result inside it does not rule out illness. These pages are an educational summary, not medical advice: always discuss your results with the clinician who ordered them, who can interpret them in the context of your health and history.