C-reactive protein--can it be used as a marker of infection in patients with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt

Standard

C-reactive protein--can it be used as a marker of infection in patients with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease? / Weis, Nina; Almdal, Thomas Peter; Almdal, Thomas.

I: European Journal of Internal Medicine, Bind 17, Nr. 2, 2006, s. 88-91.

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt

Harvard

Weis, N, Almdal, TP & Almdal, T 2006, 'C-reactive protein--can it be used as a marker of infection in patients with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?', European Journal of Internal Medicine, bind 17, nr. 2, s. 88-91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejim.2005.09.020

APA

Weis, N., Almdal, T. P., & Almdal, T. (2006). C-reactive protein--can it be used as a marker of infection in patients with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease? European Journal of Internal Medicine, 17(2), 88-91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejim.2005.09.020

Vancouver

Weis N, Almdal TP, Almdal T. C-reactive protein--can it be used as a marker of infection in patients with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease? European Journal of Internal Medicine. 2006;17(2):88-91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejim.2005.09.020

Author

Weis, Nina ; Almdal, Thomas Peter ; Almdal, Thomas. / C-reactive protein--can it be used as a marker of infection in patients with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?. I: European Journal of Internal Medicine. 2006 ; Bind 17, Nr. 2. s. 88-91.

Bibtex

@article{a7db9500382346f6bde3b26ab54029ec,
title = "C-reactive protein--can it be used as a marker of infection in patients with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?",
abstract = "BACKGROUND: Far from all patients with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) benefit from antibiotic treatment. However, as these patients are often colonized with bacteria, even in a stable phase, there is no reliable method for establishing whether the patients have a significant bacterial infection and would benefit from antibiotic treatment. C-reactive protein (CRP) has proven to be useful as a marker of bacterial infection. The aim of this study was to assess to what degree CRP is elevated in patients with exacerbation of COPD. METHODS: A total of 166 consecutive patients admitted to a department of internal medicine at a university hospital in Copenhagen due to exacerbation of COPD were prospectively included in the study. Patients were asked whether they had experienced increased sputum purulence and whether they were on steroid treatment or not. Blood was drawn for determination of white blood cell count and CRP, and a chest X-ray was taken. Patients whose X-rays of the thorax showed changes compatible with pneumonia were considered to have pneumonia of bacterial origin. RESULTS: Pneumonia was diagnosed in 51 patients. Their median CRP was 97 mg/l (49-145 interquartile range). Among patients without pneumonia, 46% (51/115) had normal CRP values (0-10 mg/l); 64 had no increased sputum purulence and a median CRP of 8 mg/l (2.9-16 mg/l), which is significantly lower than in the 51 patients who reported increased sputum purulence and had a CRP of 45 mg/l (8.5-86 mg/l; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: CRP values are normal in nearly 50% of patients admitted due to exacerbation of COPD. In patients who have increased sputum purulence, the pattern of increase in CRP is similar to that seen in patients with pneumonia. This suggests that CRP may be used as a marker of significant bacterial infection. Thus, it may be used when deciding whether or not to start antibiotic treatment. This should be tested in a controlled trial.",
author = "Nina Weis and Almdal, {Thomas Peter} and Thomas Almdal",
year = "2006",
doi = "http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejim.2005.09.020",
language = "English",
volume = "17",
pages = "88--91",
journal = "European Journal of Internal Medicine",
issn = "0953-6205",
publisher = "Elsevier",
number = "2",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - C-reactive protein--can it be used as a marker of infection in patients with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?

AU - Weis, Nina

AU - Almdal, Thomas Peter

AU - Almdal, Thomas

PY - 2006

Y1 - 2006

N2 - BACKGROUND: Far from all patients with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) benefit from antibiotic treatment. However, as these patients are often colonized with bacteria, even in a stable phase, there is no reliable method for establishing whether the patients have a significant bacterial infection and would benefit from antibiotic treatment. C-reactive protein (CRP) has proven to be useful as a marker of bacterial infection. The aim of this study was to assess to what degree CRP is elevated in patients with exacerbation of COPD. METHODS: A total of 166 consecutive patients admitted to a department of internal medicine at a university hospital in Copenhagen due to exacerbation of COPD were prospectively included in the study. Patients were asked whether they had experienced increased sputum purulence and whether they were on steroid treatment or not. Blood was drawn for determination of white blood cell count and CRP, and a chest X-ray was taken. Patients whose X-rays of the thorax showed changes compatible with pneumonia were considered to have pneumonia of bacterial origin. RESULTS: Pneumonia was diagnosed in 51 patients. Their median CRP was 97 mg/l (49-145 interquartile range). Among patients without pneumonia, 46% (51/115) had normal CRP values (0-10 mg/l); 64 had no increased sputum purulence and a median CRP of 8 mg/l (2.9-16 mg/l), which is significantly lower than in the 51 patients who reported increased sputum purulence and had a CRP of 45 mg/l (8.5-86 mg/l; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: CRP values are normal in nearly 50% of patients admitted due to exacerbation of COPD. In patients who have increased sputum purulence, the pattern of increase in CRP is similar to that seen in patients with pneumonia. This suggests that CRP may be used as a marker of significant bacterial infection. Thus, it may be used when deciding whether or not to start antibiotic treatment. This should be tested in a controlled trial.

AB - BACKGROUND: Far from all patients with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) benefit from antibiotic treatment. However, as these patients are often colonized with bacteria, even in a stable phase, there is no reliable method for establishing whether the patients have a significant bacterial infection and would benefit from antibiotic treatment. C-reactive protein (CRP) has proven to be useful as a marker of bacterial infection. The aim of this study was to assess to what degree CRP is elevated in patients with exacerbation of COPD. METHODS: A total of 166 consecutive patients admitted to a department of internal medicine at a university hospital in Copenhagen due to exacerbation of COPD were prospectively included in the study. Patients were asked whether they had experienced increased sputum purulence and whether they were on steroid treatment or not. Blood was drawn for determination of white blood cell count and CRP, and a chest X-ray was taken. Patients whose X-rays of the thorax showed changes compatible with pneumonia were considered to have pneumonia of bacterial origin. RESULTS: Pneumonia was diagnosed in 51 patients. Their median CRP was 97 mg/l (49-145 interquartile range). Among patients without pneumonia, 46% (51/115) had normal CRP values (0-10 mg/l); 64 had no increased sputum purulence and a median CRP of 8 mg/l (2.9-16 mg/l), which is significantly lower than in the 51 patients who reported increased sputum purulence and had a CRP of 45 mg/l (8.5-86 mg/l; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: CRP values are normal in nearly 50% of patients admitted due to exacerbation of COPD. In patients who have increased sputum purulence, the pattern of increase in CRP is similar to that seen in patients with pneumonia. This suggests that CRP may be used as a marker of significant bacterial infection. Thus, it may be used when deciding whether or not to start antibiotic treatment. This should be tested in a controlled trial.

U2 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejim.2005.09.020

DO - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejim.2005.09.020

M3 - Journal article

VL - 17

SP - 88

EP - 91

JO - European Journal of Internal Medicine

JF - European Journal of Internal Medicine

SN - 0953-6205

IS - 2

ER -

ID: 40204460