Evaluation of Patients who were Consulted to the Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Clinic Because of High C-Reactive Protein Levels at a University Hospital

Abstract

Objective: C-reactive protein (CRP) is an acute-phase protein that is widely used and can be elevated in many conditions that lead to acute inflammation, including infectious diseases. In this study, we aimed to determine the rate of presence of an infectious disease in patients who were consulted because of a high CRP level. Methods: Inpatients and outpatients consulted to the Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (IHCM) Clinic between January and March 2022 because of high CRP levels were included in the study. The anamnesis, physical examination, and laboratory findings of the patients were recorded, and the existence of an infectious disease was investigated. Results: 124 patients were referred for consultation during the study period. CRP levels of 6 (4.9%) patients were within average reference values; the remaining 118 patients were included in the study. Of the 118 patients, 54 (45%) had clinical complaints consistent with an infectious disease. A focus of infection was detected in only 49 (42%) patients. We found that there was a significant relationship between the presence of symptoms consistent with an infectious disease and the presence of a positive physical examination finding with the presence of an infectious focus (p<0.05) Conclusion: In this study, we determined that more than half of the patients for whom consultation was requested due to high CRP levels did not have an infectious disease. We think that unnecessary consultation burden can be avoided by detailed clinical evaluation of the patients before referring them for consultation by only looking at the CRP results.