New Procalcitonin (PCT) study shows that testing reduces hospital costs and length of stay

An extensive cohort study published in the January issue of CHEST has examined whether procalcitonin (PCT) testing helps to manage sepsis care more effectively. The study found that using Procalcitonin (PCT) testing on day one of admission into the ICU led to an average of 1.2 fewer hospital days than patients who were not screened and saved an average of $2,759 on their total hospital costs [1].

Sepsis carries a substantial economic and human cost, affecting over 27,000,000 people per year and resulting in over 8,000,000 deaths per year [2]. The USA spends over 20 billion dollars per year on sepsis care, so finding a way to screen and treat patients in the fastest, safest, and most cost-effective way is right at the top of many hospital agendas.

The EKF Diagnostics Procalcitonin LiquiColor® Test is a marker for bacterial infection and sepsis. It can be used as a quick ten-minute test and other tests to assess sepsis’s initial severity quickly. The test is CE marked and is currently undergoing the FDA approval process. This open-channel test can provide a cost-effective solution for many hospital labs.

The complete study is available to purchase from the CHEST website.

References:

• [1] “Effect of Procalcitonin Testing on Healthcare Utilization and Costs in Critically Ill Patients in the United States,” by Robert A. Balk, MD; Sameer S. Kadri, MD, MS; Zhun Cao, PhD; Scott B. Robinson, MA, MPH; Craig Lipkin, MS; Samuel A. Bozzette, MD, PhD; DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2016.06.046, published in CHEST, Volume 151, Issue 1 (January 2017), by Elsevier.
• [2] http://www.world-sepsis-day.org/