C reactive protein (CRP) may aid in identifying patients with uncomplicated acute pyelonephritis (APN) who will have a recurrence and a prolonged hospital stay, a study found.
At discharge, APN patients with a CRP level higher than 4 mg/dL had a greater risk of recurrence than those whose level was below 4, researchers reported in Urology (2009;73:19-22). Patients with a maximal CRP greater than 15 during admission had a longer hospital stay and required more IV antibiotic treatment than patients whose maximal CRP level was below 15.
“As a marker of prolonged hospitalization and recurrence, CRP can complement the present clinical and laboratory parameters used as guides in the proper treatment of uncomplicated APN,” the authors concluded.
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