Gastroenteritis and infection markers: Significant increase of C-reactive protein in salmonellosis

Abstract

In the University Children’s Hospital of Frankfurt/Main, 331 patients with diarrhoea were examined retrospectively for the infection markers CRP, leucocyte count (LC) and ESR. Out of these, 62 had salmonellosis, partly with mixed gastrointestinal infection (n = 25) and/or combined with other disease. Twenty-five of these had salmonellosis only. These were compared either with a Rotavirus group (n = 29, group 1), which was the second most common form of enteritis, or with a total group including all non-Salmonella infections (n = 39, group 2). In this investigation, 88 % of the patients with Salmonella enteritis had increased CRP values (mean; 6.35 mg/dl). A significant increase (p < 0:0001) in CRP was found even on the first day after hospitalization. Combined with the symptom diarrhoea, CRP alone discriminates between salmonellosis and Rotavirus infection with a sensitivity of 0.88 and specificity of 0.86. The sensitivity and specificity in the discrimination between salmonellosis and all other gastrointestinal infections was 0.88 and 0.79 respectively In a discriminant analysis between CRP, LC and ESR in the 3 different groups, the LC and/or the ESR revealed no additional diagnostic significance than CRP alone. Shigella (n = 2) and Lamblia (n=1) enteritis are rare infections of minor importance in this context. Early detection of salmonellosis enhances the possibility for improved medical care. © 1995, Walter de Gruyter. All rights reserved.