BACKGROUND: Injury and infection are characterized by the activation of the acute phase proteins response. C-reactive protein (CRP), an acute phase protein, has been mentioned as an useful indicator of infection and sepsis in critically ill patients. OBJECTIVE: To study the evolution of serum CRP in patients with severe blunt trauma and to ascertain its ability as a biological marker of infection during the first seven days after injury. METHODS: We prospectively studied 54 patients with blunt trauma (injury severity score>=16) age>14 years and length of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) estay>= 7 days, over a 4-month period. Culture-proven infections were collected and serum CRP was determinated every day, during the first week after ICU admission. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients (51.8%) developed an infection during the first week, and the median day of diagnosis of infection was day 6. Pneumonia was the most common infection (50%) and Gram-negative bacilli (63.3%) were the most common microorganisms recovered. Serum CRP levels were significantly higher in the infected patients group after day 4, showing a median value higher than 170 mg/l. Based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, a cutoff value of 109.5 mg/l for CRP gives a sensitivity of 78.6% and a specifity of 73.1% in predicting the presence of infection. CONCLUSIONS: The course of serum CRP levels is different in the group of patients with severe blunt trauma and infection, compared with the non-infected group during the first week after injury and it could be an useful supplementary marker for infection after postinjury day 4. A value of 110 mg/l or higher for CRP should suggest an underlying infectious complication.
BACKGROUND:Injury and infection are characterized by the activation of the acute phase proteins response. C-reactive protein (CRP), an acute phase protein, has been mentioned as an useful indicator of infection and sepsis in critically illpatients. OBJECTIVE: To study the evolution of serum CRP in patients with severe blunt trauma and to ascertain its ability as a biological marker of infection during the first seven days after injury. METHODS: We prospectively studied 54 patients with blunt trauma (injury severity score>=16) age>14 years and length of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) estay>= 7 days, over a 4-month period. Culture-proven infections were collected and serum CRP was determinated every day, during the first week after ICU admission. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients (51.8%) developed an infection during the first week, and the median day of diagnosis of infection was day 6. Pneumonia was the most common infection (50%) and Gram-negative bacilli (63.3%) were the most common microorganisms recovered. Serum CRP levels were significantly higher in the infectedpatients group after day 4, showing a median value higher than 170 mg/l. Based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, a cutoff value of 109.5 mg/l for CRP gives a sensitivity of 78.6% and a specifity of 73.1% in predicting the presence of infection. CONCLUSIONS: The course of serum CRP levels is different in the group of patients with severe blunt trauma and infection, compared with the non-infected group during the first week after injury and it could be an useful supplementary marker for infection after postinjury day 4. A value of 110 mg/l or higher for CRP should suggest an underlying infectious complication.
Authors: Juan J Egea-Guerrero; Carmen Martínez-Fernández; Ana Rodríguez-Rodríguez; Angélica Bohórquez-López; Angel Vilches-Arenas; María Pacheco-Sánchez; Juan M Guerrero; Francisco Murillo-Cabezas Journal: Plast Surg (Oakv) Date: 2015 Impact factor: 0.947