PCT
Abbreviation with 4 meanings
| Stands for | Patient care technician |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 4 |
| Categories | Medical, Law & Legal, Units & Measurements |
| Also written | pct |
PCT has four meanings. The most common are Patient care technician (healthcare credential) and Patent Cooperation Treaty (intellectual property); it can also stand for Procalcitonin and Percent.
Meanings of PCT at a glance
| # | PCT stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patient care technician | Medical › Healthcare Credential |
| 2 | Patent Cooperation Treaty | Law & Legal › Intellectual Property |
| 3 | Procalcitonin | Medical › Laboratory Test |
| 4 | Percent | Units & Measurements › Math |
1. Patient care technician
Medical · Healthcare Credential Abbreviations
Hospital or dialysis role combining nursing assistant duties with technical skills such as phlebotomy, ECGs, glucose testing and catheter care. Many PCTs are certified through organizations such as the National Healthcareer Association.
Example: PCT drew morning labs and completed 12-lead ECG for chest pain.
In dialysis, PCT often means a certified hemodialysis technician who sets up machines and monitors treatments, requiring federal certification within 18 months of hire. Nursing students often work as PCTs. In laboratory medicine PCT means procalcitonin.
2. Patent Cooperation Treaty
Law & Legal · Intellectual Property Abbreviations
International treaty administered by WIPO that lets an applicant file one international patent application to seek protection in more than 150 member countries. It postpones the cost of filing in each country, usually until 30 months from the earliest priority date.
Example: We filed a PCT application within 12 months of the US provisional to keep foreign options open.
Signed in Washington in 1970 and in force since 1978. The PCT does not grant an "international patent"; each national or regional office later examines and grants its own patent in the national phase. An international search report and written opinion give an early view of patentability. The European Patent Office allows 31 months to enter its regional phase.
3. Procalcitonin
Medical · Laboratory Test Abbreviations
Precursor of the hormone calcitonin that rises sharply in the blood during bacterial infection and much less with viral illness. It is used to support decisions about starting or stopping antibiotics in lower respiratory tract infections and sepsis, with falling levels supporting earlier discontinuation.
Example: PCT 0.08 ng/mL and viral swab positive; antibiotics withheld.
The FDA cleared a procalcitonin assay for antibiotic management decisions in 2017. Levels also rise without infection after major surgery, trauma, burns, pancreatitis and cardiogenic shock, and kidney failure slows clearance. Algorithms rely on trends over 24 to 48 hours rather than one value.
4. Percent (pct)
Units & Measurements · Math Abbreviations
Abbreviation for percent in newspapers, financial tables, sports statistics and data headers where the % sign is avoided. Baseball and other standings list a team's winning percentage under the heading PCT.
Example: The Yankees lead the division with a .590 PCT.
AP style long spelled out "percent" in text but switched to the % sign with numerals in 2019. Sports winning percentage is written as a decimal (.590), not a true percentage. In data tables, "pct pt" means percentage point, which differs from percent change: a rise from 4 to 5 percent is one percentage point but 25 percent.
Related abbreviations
More healthcare credential abbreviations
- PA – Physician assistant
- PA-C – Physician Assistant-Certified
- PCA – Patient care assistant
- PCCN – Progressive Care Certified Nurse
- PharmD – Doctor of Pharmacy
- PMHNP – Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- PNP – Pediatric nurse practitioner
- PsyD – Doctor of Psychology
See all 122 healthcare credential abbreviations →
More intellectual property abbreviations
- MPEP – Manual of Patent Examining Procedure
- NPE – Non-practicing entity
- OA – Office action
- ODP – Obviousness-type double patenting
- PGR – Post-grant review
- PHOSITA – Person having ordinary skill in the art
- PPA – Provisional patent application
- PPH – Patent Prosecution Highway
See all 50 intellectual property abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical or legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.