title: Rapid C-reactive protein (CRP) measurements in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis.
abstract: C-reactive protein (CRP) has been measured in plasma of patients with acute appendicitis and in controls without appendicitis to test the accuracy and diagnostic performance of a new rapid test kit for CRP (NycoCard CRP). The values obtained for CRP by the rapid test correlated well (Rs = 0.92) with the reference method for measuring CRP. The sensitivity, specificity and predictive values were calculated at different cut-off values. At values > 10 mg l-1 a sensitivity of 58% and a negative predictive value of 72% were found. Higher values of sensitivity were observed for men than for women, 69% and 44% respectively. Patients with acute appendicitis who had had symptoms for more than 24 h, had elevated CRP values (cut-off > 10 mg l-1) in more than 80% of cases. Our study shows that the rapid CRP test and the reference CRP test gave an almost identical result.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Rogaland Central County Hospital, Stavanger, Norway.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Søndenaa
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Buan
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Søreide
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nysted
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nesvik
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Osland
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D002097:C-Reactive Protein