Procalcitonin elevation induced by sympathomimetic drug overdose

Background Procalcitonin, a biomarker used to detect systemic bacterial infection, can be elevated in other conditions. Some case reports have suggested procalcitonin elevation induced by drug overdose. Case Presentation A 20‐year‐old woman with insignificant medical history presented with vomiting,...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sota Kodama, Masahiro Kashiura, Takashi Moriya
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-01-01
Series:Acute Medicine & Surgery
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/ams2.687
Description
Summary:Background Procalcitonin, a biomarker used to detect systemic bacterial infection, can be elevated in other conditions. Some case reports have suggested procalcitonin elevation induced by drug overdose. Case Presentation A 20‐year‐old woman with insignificant medical history presented with vomiting, fever, and impaired consciousness. Her vital signs showed an altered mental status (Glasgow Coma Scale score, 11 [E4V1M6]) and high fever (38.0°C), and no significant neurological signs were detected. Laboratory tests revealed that her serum procalcitonin level was significantly high (>10 ng/dL). Gradually, her level of consciousness improved, and she admitted that she had taken an overdose of sympathomimetic drugs. She was discharged from the hospital on day 5 without any problems. Conclusion Drug overdose is seldom mentioned as one of the causes of serum procalcitonin level elevation. Sympathomimetic drug overdose can be one of the causes of procalcitonin elevation.
ISSN:2052-8817