Can the rapid semiquantitative estimation of serum C reactive protein be adapted for the management of bacterial infection?

Abstract

Serum C reactive protein concentrations measured by a laboratory based assay were compared with the semiquantitative results obtained with a visual agglutination method (Wellcotest, CRP kit). Using this agglutination kit, diluting serum 1/10 and 1/20 gave C reactive protein results which could be of more clinical value than those obtained using the 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, and 1/16 dilutions recommended by the manufacturers. The kit was also used on the ward by junior medical staff, who showed that after minimal training reproducible serum C reactive protein results could be obtained.