title: C-reactive protein, severity of pneumonia and mortality in elderly, hospitalised patients with community-acquired pneumonia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  increasingly, markers of systemic inflammation like C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and white blood count (WBC) are being used for assessing the prognosis of patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). However, their predictive value has not been validated in populations of elderly patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  to evaluate the prognostic value of CRP and WBC in comparison with the CURB score and the pneumonia severity index (PSI) in elderly, hospitalised patients with CAP.
  
  
  METHODS
  the charts of all patients, aged 65 years and older, who were consecutively admitted to the Department of Geriatrics, Marienhospital Herne, Germany, for treatment of CAP between January 2001 and September 2005, were reviewed. CRP, WBC, CURB and PSI were analysed in relation to 30-day mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  in a total of 391 patients, median age 80 years, no association was found between CRP or WBC and mortality. In contrast, the CURB score and PSI were significantly associated with mortality and treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  in elderly, hospitalised patients with CAP, admission CRP and WBC are not predictors of the prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Marienhospital Herne, University of Bochum, Widumer Str. 8, D-44627 Herne, Germany. ulrich.thiem@rub.de
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Thiem
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Niklaus
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sehlhoff
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stückle
authors.forename: Hans Jürgen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Heppner
authors.forename: Heinz Gerd
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Endres
authors.forename: Ludger
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pientka
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D003221:Confusion / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012119:Respiration; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014508:Urea / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014508:Urea; D002097:C-Reactive Protein