DRG Presents: Procalcitonin (PCT) - Fully Automated on DRG:HYBRiD-XL®
DRG´s new Procalcitonin assay can support the decision making about antibiotic therapy in cases from sepsis to septic shock and can monitor the course of infection. Therefore, it is a perfect tool to be used along side with our new antibiotic TDM assays for DRG:HYBRiD-XL®, a fast, easy, and inexpensive monitoring of antibiotics concentration of patients. This group of biomarkers can help reducing the overuse of antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance.
Related assays of Antibiotic TDMs are Ceftazidime (HYE-6166), Ciprofloxacin (HYE-6165), Linezolid (HYE-6163) and Piperacillin (HYE-6164).
The ordering number of the new assay Procalcitonin is HYC-6210.
Each kit includes 80 tests, furthermore, two control levels and two re-calibrators.
Intended use
This new immunoturbidimetric immunoassay is dedicated for the quantitative and fully automated measurement and monitoring of PCT in serum and plasma samples.
Clinical applications
The device can be used for monitoring the course of bacterial infection and in conjunction with other laboratory findings or clinical assessments to assess the risk of progression to severe sepsis and septic shock in critically ill patients.
It is an aid to one or more of the following:
- Differentiation between viral and bacterial infection
- Distinction between sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock
- Decision making on antibiotic therapy or antibiotic discontinuation
- Assessing the cumulative 28-day risk of all-cause mortality for patients diagnosed with severe sepsis or septic shock
The device is not intended for distinction between healthy person and patients with local infection.
Clear advantages
- Standards calibrated against reference method
- 2 controls and 2 re-calibrators included
- Good correlation to Elecsys® BRAHMS Procalcitonin (PCT)
- High sensitivity and good specificity
- Good assay performance (validated according to CLSI Guidelines)
- No cross-reactivity to relevant substances
- EU: CE / IVD
CRP and PCT
It is crutial to distinguish between bacterial and viral infection, since only bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics. C-reactive protein (CRP) is widely used as a biomarker for the presence of an inflammatory process. CRP can be detected quantitatively with our assays for DRG:HYBRiD-XL®: CRP (HYC-5619) and CRP-HS (HYC-5613).
However, Procalcitonin (PCT), another biomarker positive for bacterial infection and sepsis is becoming increasingly popular. PCT is often said to be superior to CRP for sepsis and bacterial infections, due to better specificity, sensitivity and faster response to the inflamatoric process.