title: Validation and evaluation of eight commercially available point of care CRP methods.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are several situations compelling to measure CRP with a point of care (POC) method. Assay performance of various available POC CRP methods were evaluated as analytical quality is important and should be known before clinical use.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared 2 semi-quantitative strips; Actim and Cleartest and 6 quantitative CRP tests; Afinion, QuikRead go, Smart, iChroma, Microsemi and AQT90 Flex to the Synchron CRP method, using the CLSI EP9 protocol. The coefficient of variance (CV) was determined. Various aspects of pre-analytical and analytical steps were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CRP strips showed 50-60% concordance with the Synchron CRP. The linear regression lines (95% CI) of the quantitative POC CRP methods compared to the Synchron CRP method were: y=[0.96-1.04]x+[-4.7 to -2.04] (Smart); y=[1.00-1.06]x+[1.05-4.99] (AQT90 Flex), y=[0.84-0.91]x+[-1.13 to 3.95] (Afinion); y=[0.83-0.87]x+[0.25-1.5] (QuikRead go); y=[0.76-0.82]x+[-0.18 to 1.35] (iChroma) and y=[1.14-1.18]x+[-3.17 to -1.83] (Microsemi).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At best, the semi-quantitative CRP strips could be used to discriminate between normal and increased levels of CRP. Of the quantitative methods, when combining analytical with practical evaluation, the Smart and Afinion would be the preferred analyzers for POCT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry, Hematology and Immunology, Medical Centre Alkmaar, Postbus 501, 1800 AM Alkmaar, The Netherlands. Electronic address: n.brouwer@llz.nl.
authors.forename: Nannette
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Brouwer
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry, Hematology and Immunology, Medical Centre Alkmaar, Postbus 501, 1800 AM Alkmaar, The Netherlands. Electronic address: j.van.pelt@mca.nl.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Pelt
mesh_terms: D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein
keywords: C-reactive protein; General practice; Point of care