CRP (C-Reactive Protein) is used to control the presence of any inflammation present in the body. It is also used to monitor the effectiveness of the treatment administered to the patient. The CRP test is done by taking blood from a vein.
When there is an inflammatory condition in the body, CRP is secreted by the liver and sent through the blood in response to the interleukin-1 protein secreted from the macrophage cells in the blood and stimulates the body’s defense mechanisms. In fact, it is the immune system’s response to losses in the body’s cells and tissue necrosis. While high CRP is important in infections, high CRP is an important marker in non-infectious inflammatory conditions. However, it cannot be considered alone. There are also other blood tests that are taken with it. Sometimes a blood or sample culture may be added to this.
The elevation of CRP, which is normally at low levels in the blood, may be a sign of a serious infection with inflammatory conditions or many different diseases. However, in some inflammatory conditions and infections, the CRP level may not increase. Therefore, the CRP test may not be high in every abnormal situation.
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When is a CRP Test Needed?
CRP testing is usually done when an infection or acute or chronic condition is suspected. It may be necessary to control the level of CRP in any ongoing infection or other inflammatory diseases. If there is a possibility of post-operative infection, risk analysis can be performed with the increase in CRP over time. In some rheumatic or autoimmune diseases, it may also be needed to check whether the inflammatory state has subsided or to decide on the level of treatment to be given. It is most commonly used to control the patient’s infection as part of sepsis measures in intensive care patients. However, if the patient’s condition is moderate or severe in any infection, it may be desirable to check CRP again. CRP level is considered as an important scale for rating the reaction in the patient’s body. In patients for whom treatment is started due to high CRP, the course is checked and whether the treatment works or not is followed by a repeat CRP control. In addition to the CRP test, many parameters are also evaluated together.
What is CRP level?
Since the level of CRP in the blood will vary according to the disease, the physician should interpret it according to the patient’s condition. For example, in bacterial infections, the CRP level in the blood can rise 10 times or even 100 times within hours. These rapid elevations indicate the severity of the infection and the process of tissue necrosis. The treatment that the patient should receive and the duration of the treatment may vary according to this altitude and speed. It can express organ damage and acceleration in the course of the disease in intensive care patients.
What Are the Symptoms of High CRP?
If the CRP level is elevated, the following symptoms may occur. Sometimes there may be no symptoms:
- Fire
- Nausea – vomiting
- increased heart rate
- rapid breathing
- sleep problems
- Tremor
- Weakness
- Headache
- Anorexia
- Redness, swelling and pain in certain parts of the body
What Should the Normal CRP Reference Range Be?
In healthy individuals, CRP level should be 5.0 mg/L and below in blood measurements. CRP levels may remain low in liver patients. Some infections, such as viral meningitis, may also have low CRP levels. Therefore, the low CRP level should be interpreted according to the patient’s condition and disease. CRP elevation does not indicate where the disease is. It helps to evaluate about a known disease where it is known. In some patients, even depression can cause CRP levels to rise.
C-reactive protein concentration above 100 mg/L may occur after a serious infection and trauma. CRP levels above 350 mg/L may indicate a vital condition.
What is the Hs-CRP test?
The Hs-CRP test is different from the CRP test. The hs-CRP test detects lower levels of CRP (0.5-10 mg/L) in the bloodstream. The CRP test measures levels in a higher range (10-1,000 mg/L). Doctors can use the hs-CRP test to assess a person’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease. These tests alone may not be sufficient to evaluate and may need to be evaluated together with other tests.