Procalcitonin (PCT) is a marker for bacterial infection and sepsis, a condition that has grown in awareness in recent years.
PCT is now widely recognised as an important adjunct marker in sepsis diagnosis which aids in the differentiation between viral and bacterial infections.
Sepsis can quickly develop into severe sepsis and septic shock - conditions associated with signs of end-stage organ damage and hypotension.
At this stage, risk of death is high and increases drastically the longer the initiation of treatment is delayed.
However, if a patient receives antimicrobial therapy within the first hour of diagnosis, their chances of survival are close to 80%. This short window is therefore often referred to as ’the golden hour.’
Now EKF Diagnostics announces that it is expanding the distribution of its Procalcitonin LiquiColor Test into Eastern Europe, Middle East and APAC regions.
EKF’s Stanbio Chemistry PCT assay can be used in conjunction with other tests, to rapidly assess initial severity of sepsis within the golden hour.
As it provides quantitative results within ten minutes, it helps physicians to monitor treatment and track improvements over time.
The test is CE marked and will shortly receive FDA approval. It is an open-channel immunoturbidimetric assay that can run with multiple sample types, providing a cost effective solution for many hospital laboratories.
