C-REACTIVE PROTEIN AS A MARKER OF MORTALITY IN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

Objective. To determine C-reactive protein (CRP) prognostic value and in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Design. Retrospective cohort study. Patients. A total of 879 patients admitted to the ICU for any cause over a 2-year period and who were hospitalized at least for 24 hours were studied. Method. CRP levels were determined on admission and the value of the APACHE II score at 24 hours. The CRP values were correlated with APACHE II score along with other variables (gender, age, disease at onset, length of stay). Results. The highest CRP levels were those from subjects admitted for an infectious disease or shock-sepsis-multiple organ failure. Patients with CRP values greater than 10 mg/dl were older, had higher APACHE II score, remained hospitalized for more time and the mortality rate was higher in this group (p < 0.0001). CRP predictive value for mortality was higher as it increased in level with a specificity of 72.3% when these were over 10 mg/dl. Conclusions. CRP is an early and specific indicator of outcome, qualities that make it useful as a routine test of patients at admission to the ICU.