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C-reactive protein in the diagnosis and management of infections in granulocytopenic and non-granulocytopenic patients

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Abstract

The serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) were assayed in 64 non-granulocytopenic and 35 granulocytopenic patients with or without fever and infection. Most patients showed a direct CRP response within 24 hours after onset of fever (95 % of non-granulocytopenic patients, 100 % of granulocytopenic patients). The mean peak level of CRP in febrile patients with septicemia was 207 mg/l (median 214 mg/l) in non-granulocytopenic patients and 173 mg/l (median 168 mg/l) in granulocytopenic patients, and differed significantly (p<0.001) from that in febrile patients without positive blood cultures. A significant difference between patients with major and minor infections was also found (p<0.01). No significant difference in the CRP level was found between patients with microbiologically and clinically documented infections (p>0.05), nor did the serum CRP levels differ between patients with infections due to gram-positive and gram-negative organisms. The most favorable cut-off limit for detection of an inflammatory process in this study was 25 mg/l. There was no quantitative difference between CRP levels measured by a latex-agglutination method and the nephelometry assay.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Utrecht, Postbus 85500, 3508GV, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    P. C. Ligtenberg, I. M. Hoepelman & G. A. C. Oude Sogtoen

  2. Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Utrecht, Postbus 85500, 3508GV, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    I. M. Hoepelman, M. Rozenberg-Arska & J. Verhoef

  3. Department of Hematology, University Hospital Utrecht, Postbus 85500, 3508GV, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    A. W. Dekker

  4. Centre for Biostatistics, University Hospital Utrecht, Postbus 85500, 3508GV, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    I. van der Tweel

Authors
  1. P. C. Ligtenberg
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  2. I. M. Hoepelman
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  3. G. A. C. Oude Sogtoen
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  4. A. W. Dekker
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  5. I. van der Tweel
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  6. M. Rozenberg-Arska
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  7. J. Verhoef
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Ligtenberg, P.C., Hoepelman, I.M., Oude Sogtoen, G.A.C. et al. C-reactive protein in the diagnosis and management of infections in granulocytopenic and non-granulocytopenic patients. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 10, 25–31 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01967093

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