A Procalcitonin test measures a substance in the blood that can rise when the body is fighting a bacterial infection.
Doctors often use this test in hospitals to help decide:
If an infection may be bacterial
Whether antibiotics may be needed
When antibiotics can be safely stopped
This test looks at the level of procalcitonin in your blood.
Procalcitonin tends to:
Stay low when there is no infection
Rise during certain bacterial infections
Stay lower with most viral infections
It helps guide decisions, not make diagnoses by itself.
Normal procalcitonin levels are usually very low.
Your lab report will show:
Your result
The lab’s reference range
Low or undetectable levels are reassuring.
Higher levels may be caused by:
Bacterial infections
Severe inflammation
Sepsis
Major surgery or trauma
The degree of elevation matters, not just whether it’s above normal.
Low levels usually mean:
No significant bacterial infection
Antibiotics may not be needed
Low procalcitonin is often a good sign.
Procalcitonin levels can change due to:
Recent surgery
Severe stress on the body
Inflammation not caused by infection
Doctors consider the full clinical picture.
Doctors may repeat this test if:
They are monitoring response to antibiotics
Infection severity needs tracking
Symptoms change
Trends over time are often more helpful than one result.
Procalcitonin is a decision-support test, not a diagnosis.
An elevated result does not automatically mean a life-threatening infection.
Procalcitonin helps doctors understand whether a bacterial infection may be present.
Low levels are reassuring, and higher levels are interpreted with symptoms and other tests.
You may want to read:
C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Explained
White Blood Cell Count (WBC) Explained
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) Explained
You can also use the navigation bar above to explore other blood test results.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always talk with a healthcare professional about your results.