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.