1505 LOCALIZATION OF THE SITE OF URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS USING SERUM C-REACTIVE PROTEIN (CRP)

Abstract

The CRP test has been used as an indication of the presence or absence of kidney inflammation during urinary tract infections. However, only Jodal's group has reported a study of this application. In our studies the concentration of serum CRP, measured by radial immunodiffusion, are compared with the site of infection determined by bladder washout (BWO) and by clinical criteria. The table shows that 9 of 16 children with upper tract infection by BWO had serum CRP levels >25 μg/ml while only 4 of 28 with lower tract infection had values in this range. Four of 6 children with upper tract infection by BWO and clinical acute pyelonephritis had serum CRP levels >25 μg/ml. However, the CRP levels were <25 μg/ml in 5 of 7 children with upper tract infections by BWO and clinical diagnoses of cystitis or asymptomatic bacteriuria. This suggests that the CRP test may be unreliable for localization of the site of infection in the clinical situation in which this information is most needed.