Commentary
Sequential C-reactive protein measurements in patients with serious infections: does it help?
Serviço de Terapia Intensiva, Faculdade de Medicina de São José do Rio Preto, Medical School - Hospital de Base, Av Faria Lima 5544, São Jose do Rio Preto, São Paulo CEP 15090-000, Brazil
Critical Care 2012, 16:130 doi:10.1186/CC11347
See related research by Coelho et al., http://ccforum.com/content/16/2/R53
Published: 18 June 2012Abstract
C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker of inflammation traditionally used as a complementary tool to support the clinical diagnosis and as a marker of severity of disease. CRP is an acute-phase protein synthesized by the liver after stimulus by cytokines and its serum levels increase markedly within hours after the onset of infection, inflammation or tissue injury. Dynamic serial measurement of CRP has been widely used to help therapeutic decision-making. Decreasing plasma concentrations of this biomarker have been used as an indicator for resolution of infection or sepsis.
