title: Serum C-reactive protein concentrations in early abdominal and pulmonary sepsis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the C-reactive protein serum levels in patients with pulmonary and abdominal sepsis during the first five days of sepsis progression.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present investigation was a retrospective cohort study conducted at the university hospital with 345 patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit and diagnosed with sepsis of pulmonary or abdominal origin. Serum C-reactive protein concentrations were measured by the turbidimetric immunoassay. For analysis of C-reactive protein, day 1 was defined as the day on which the patient was clinically diagnosed with sepsis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-four patients with sepsis (9.8%), 114 patients with severe sepsis (33.0%), and 197 patients with septic shock (57.2%) were evaluated. The age of the patients was 56.4 ± 19.8 years. The serum C-reactive protein concentrations were higher on the day of sepsis diagnosis in the group with abdominal infection compared with the group with pulmonary sepsis (17.8 ± 10.1 mg/dL versus 14.9 ± 11.1 mg/dL, p=0.025) and remained significantly higher during the first five days of sepsis progression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The serum C-reactive protein concentrations were significantly higher in the patients with abdominal sepsis compared with the patients with pulmonary sepsis during the first five days of sepsis progression.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Ribeirão Preto - Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliane Agustini
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Orati
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ciorla
authors.forename: Suzana Margareth
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lobo
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009391:Nephelometry and Turbidimetry; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein