Procalcitonin (PCT) is a biomarker that is measured in blood serum to help diagnose and monitor bacterial infections, particularly sepsis. PCT is produced by various tissues and cell types throughout the body in response to bacterial infections, making it a useful marker for detecting bacterial infections and assessing the severity of the infection. The level of procalcitonin in the blood can increase significantly in case of systemic bacterial infections and sepsis. Procalcitonin test measures procalcitonin levels in the blood. Sepsis can be fatal if not controlled in time. In this sense Procalcitonin test becomes very important especially for critically ill patients in ICU.

Procalcitonin test measures the presence of procalcitonin n the blood which is biomarker for sepsis.

Your doctor will advise a Procalcitonin test for you :

• To differentiate between bacterial and viral infections
• .To help in the diagnosis of sepsis
• To monitor the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy
• To guide antibiotic prescribing
• To monitor critically ill patients

The Procalcitonin test is generally recommended for people who have symptoms of a bacterial infection that includes:

• Fever
• Chills
• Body aches and pains
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Sore throat
• Urinary tract infection
• Pneumonia

The HbA1c test is a simple blood test with no need for fasting before the test. The blood sample can be taken by the phlebotomist at a pathology lab.