Role of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) in Sepsis: Severity and Outcome

Abstract

Different types of infections in a community depend on the defense mechanism of the patient and surroundings of the patient. Early intervention can prevent hospital admission of the patient. Though the response to the treatment needs overall physiological condition of the patient. Healthcare-associated infections are common cause of increased cost of total care of patient in a hospital, morbidity, and mortality. Rapid identification of the source of infection and involvement in the body are helpful for better outcome. The infection may be viral, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal. The infection may be primary or secondary or others. Managing infection in a patient and response to the treatment are multifactorial like treating infection in an immune-compromised patient is a big challenge. The challenge also is more to the physician during treating a geriatric patient. Collection of history from the patient/relatives of patient is an initial tool for probable diagnosis. The methodical approaches of investigation, proper interpretation of the result, early initiation of treatment, and response to the treatment are essential for patient’s final outcome. The final outcome is also warranted by appropriate microbial and other supportive care of the hospital. Complexity of the situation needs close liaison between microbiologist, pathologist, infectious disease consultant, hematologist with quality of laboratory, and promptness of interrelationship within the hospital unit. While treating a subject, sometimes protective isolation for neutropenic and immune-compromised patients and source isolation of colonized and infected patients are essential. A new onset of fever in a patient admitted to hospital should be investigated, treated, and attended very sincerely. The reason could be manifold much as non-infectious causes, immunological cause, mild infection, or initial presence of severe infection. With increasing incidence of geriatric patient population, comorbidity, prolonged ICU stay, invasive therapies, use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, in-dwelling catheters, there is a rising incidence of fungal infection also. Candidemia, the common invasive fungal infection, is the fourth most common cause of bloodstream infection. Here, the sepsis markers like CRP have immense role since presentation of the patient to the healthcare facility till the outcome of the patient according to rising or decreasing CRP concentration of the patient.