Controversies in the Use of Procalcitonin to Diagnose Sepsis Part 1

The increased incidence of sepsis, an unusual systemic response to infection, which occurs in some patients, has stimulated great interest in identifying infected patients at risk and intervening early. When this condition progresses to severe sepsis (characterized by organ dysfunction), mortality is high. Over the past decade, numerous studies have investigated the use of procalcitonin (PCT) as a diagnostic test for sepsis. But, many questions remain. This webinar will attempt to address the limitations of PCT testing and frame the questions which need to be answered before rapid assays for PCT, now commercially available, can be adopted by the routine clinical laboratory.