C Reactive Protein High Meaning

Who Is At Risk For Sepsis

Anyone with an infection could get sepsis. But certain people are at higher risk:

• Adults 65 or older

• Fever, shivering, or feeling very cold
• Clammy or sweaty skin

It’s important to get medical care right away if you think you might have sepsis or if your infection is not getting better or is getting worse.

What Happens When You Have Periodontitis

Periodontitis causes your gums to become very inflamed. They may turn red, swell and bleed. The inflammation is so severe that pockets of air also develop between your gums and teeth.

Bacteria enter and flourish in these pockets, leading to infection below the gum line. Your immune system then starts to fight the infection. It eventually breaks down the tissue and bone holding teeth in place. This response can lead to the loss of teeth.

What Does The Test Result Mean

The level of CRP in the blood is normally low.

Increased CRP level:

• A high or increasing amount of CRP in the blood suggests the presence of inflammation but will not identify its location or the cause.
• Suspected bacterial infectiona high CRP level can provide confirmation that you have a serious bacterial infection.
• Chronic inflammatory diseasehigh levels of CRP suggest a flare-up if you have a chronic inflammatory disease or that treatment has not been effective.

If the CRP level is initially elevated and drops, it means that the inflammation or infection is subsiding and/or responding to treatment.

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To Diagnose And Monitor Infection

If you have symptoms of an infection in your chest or airways such as dry cough, sore throat, runny nose and sneezing, your doctor may perform a CRP test to decide whether or not to prescribe antibiotics. Infection caused by bacteria results in a greater rise in CRP compared with infections caused by viruses. Antibiotics are only effective against infections caused by bacteria and are not effective against infections caused by viruses.

A CRP level less than 10 mg per L suggests that you don’t have a bacterial infection and therefore a prescription for an antibiotic is likely to do more harm than good. This is because it’s likely that the potential side effects of the antibiotic medication outweigh any clinical benefits.

Why Would I Need This Test

You might need this test if your doctor suspects that you have an infection or an illness related to inflammation or to check for infection, especially after surgery. CRP can help confirm a diagnosis and assess how well treatment is going for these kinds of illnesses.

Sometimes CRP is tested if a pregnant woman has ruptured her membranes early. CRP can indicate if there are any problems with the baby.

A special type of CRP called a high-sensitivity CRP can help determine the risk for heart disease.

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What Causes Osteomyelitis

Osteomyelitis occurs when bacteria from nearby infected tissue or an open wound circulate in your blood and settle in bone, where they multiply. Staphylococcus aureus bacteria typically cause osteomyelitis. Sometimes, a fungus or other germ causes a bone infection.

Youre more at risk for getting osteomyelitis if you have:

• Artificial joint, such as a hip replacement.

What Is A C

A c-reactive protein test measures the level of c-reactive protein in your blood. CRP is a protein made by your liver. It’s sent into your bloodstream in response to inflammation. Inflammation is your body’s way of protecting your tissues if you’ve been injured or have an infection. It can cause pain, redness, and swelling in the injured or affected area. Some autoimmune disorders and chronic diseases can also cause inflammation.

Normally, you have low levels of c-reactive protein in your blood. High levels may be sign of a serious infection or other disorder.

Other names: c-reactive protein, serum

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What Should I Expect During My Crp Test

You can expect to experience the following during a blood test, or blood draw:

• Youll sit in a chair, and a healthcare provider will check your arms for an easily accessible vein. This is usually in the inner part of your arm on the other side of your elbow.
• Once theyve located a vein, theyll clean and disinfect the area.
• Theyll then insert a small needle into your vein to take a blood sample. This may feel like a small pinch.
• After they insert the needle, a small amount of blood will collect in a test tube.
• Once they have enough blood to test, theyll remove the needle and hold a cotton ball or gauze on the site to stop the bleeding.
• Theyll place a bandage over the site, and youll be finished.

The entire procedure usually takes less than five minutes.

What Elevated Crp Levels Mean

When CRP levels remain elevated for a long time, it can indicate chronic inflammation of the blood vessels. This type of low-grade inflammation contributes to the deposit of fat and other substances in the artery walls, a condition called atherosclerosis.

This build-up can narrow the arteries that feed the heart blood, causing coronary artery disease . Over time, heart attack, stroke, or heart failure can occur. This is true even for those with elevated CRP levels who have no obvious symptoms or signs of active inflammation.

Inflammation is an important contributor to atherosclerosis and elevated CRP is associated with an increased risk of CAD. A study of 376 people found that 210 of them diagnosed with CAD all had elevated CRP levels when compared with 166 people who did not have CAD.

The CRP level increased in step with the degree of blood vessel damage evaluated by coronary angiography, an imaging test used to visualize blood flow through the heart.

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What To Expect During The Test

A nurse or other healthcare professional will draw blood from a vein, usually on the inside of your elbow or the back of your hand.

First, they clean the skin over the vein with antiseptic. Next, they wrap an elastic band around your arm, causing your veins to bulge out slightly. The healthcare professional then inserts a small needle into the vein and collects your blood in a sterile vial.

After the healthcare professional collects your blood sample, they remove the elastic band around your arm and ask you to apply pressure to the puncture site with gauze. They may use tape or a bandage to hold the gauze in place.

What Causes Periodontitis

A buildup of bacteria in the mouth can eventually cause periodontitis.

All of our mouths have bacteria thats healthy and normal. But some types of bacteria mix with mucus and other substances. This combination forms a film on our teeth called plaque. When you brush and floss, you get rid of plaque. But if you dont do so regularly, the plaque hardens and forms tartar. You cant get rid of tartar through brushing you need a professional dental cleaning.

The buildup of plaque and tartar leads to gingivitis, an inflammation of the gingivae . Your gums start to swell and bleed. You can treat gingivitis through good dental care, including brushing, flossing and professional cleanings. But untreated gingivitis leads to periodontitis.

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How Is The Test Used

The C-reactive protein test is used to detect inflammation.

For example, CRP may be used to detect or monitor significant inflammation in acute conditions, such as:

The CRP test is useful in monitoring chronic inflammatory conditions to detect flare-ups and/or to determine if treatment is effective. Some examples include:

• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Some forms of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis
• Autoimmune diseases, such as lupus or vasculitis

Examples of other uses:

• The CRP test is widely used to detect sepsis in newborn babies.
• The CRP test may be used to monitor patients after surgery. Generally, CRP levels increase after surgery and drop down to normal unless post-surgery infection is present.
• CRP can be a good predictor of rejection in kidney transplant recipients.

CRP may sometimes be ordered along with an erythrocyte sedimentation rate , another test that detects inflammation, or procalcitonin, a test that indicates sepsis. While the CRP test is not specific enough to diagnose a particular disease, it does serve as a general marker for infection and inflammation, thus alerting healthcare practitioners that further testing and treatment may be necessary. Depending on the suspected cause, a number of other tests may be performed to identify the source of inflammation.

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Is There A Link Between C

The elevation of CRP has also been linked to atherosclerosis and heart disease. Atherosclerosis, or cholesterol plaquing of the arteries, is known to have an inflammatory component that is thought to cause the rise in CRP levels in the blood. Atherosclerosis is also felt to be affected by age and other cardiovascular risk factors including diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and cigarettesmoking.

In atherosclerosis, the blood vessel wall becomes injured. This injury acts as a focus of inflammation and leads to the formation of plaques in the blood vessel walls. The plaques typically contain blood cells of inflammation, cholesterol deposits, and debris from the injured cells in the blood vessel lining. The accumulation of these elements leads to the narrowing of the wall of the blood vessel. The blood vessel narrowing can hinder the blood flow and the plaque can rupture and flake off the blood vessel wall causing blockage and leading to strokes and heart attacks.

The burden of plaques in the body can be proportional to the degree of CRP elevation in persons with atherosclerosis. Atherosclerotic plaques can exist in different stages throughout the body.

Youll Likely Get This Blood Test If Your Doctor Suspects You Have An Autoimmune Inflammatory Disease

Theres no single test that can give a definitive diagnosis for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune arthritis. In addition to blood tests that measure inflammation, such as the CRP test, and antibodies, rheumatologists look at factors like physical symptoms and imaging, such as X-rays and MRIs. Doctors put these factors together to make a clinical diagnosis, which means they look at the big picture of the disease, rather than a relying on a single test result.

The C-reactive protein test is one of many blood tests your doctor might order for to help make your diagnosis and throughout your treatment. Heres what the CRP blood test can and cant reveal about your condition.

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What Abnormal Results Mean

It is unclear if a minor rise of 0.3 to 1 mg/dL in CRP levels is a cause for concern. The hs-CRP is more precise and may be used to further understand these results.

• CRP levels from 1 mg/dL to 10 mg/dL are thought to be a moderate increase.
• CRP Levels greater than 10 mg/dL are considered a marked increase.

A positive test means you have inflammation in the body. The cause of a high CRP cannot always be determined. Some include:

Normal Range Of Crp Found Among Men : 0

Ideal values of CRP depending on age :

*Ideal values are calculated based on our database of patient records

If you want your blood test report to be interpreted by CRP specialist, you can upload your report. Our CRP expert will provide you with the most accurate interpretation of your blood test results and treatment within 12 hours. Upload blood test report now

A video message on the treatment of your high CRP level

If you want your blood test report to be interpreted by CRP specialist, you can upload your report. Our CRP expert will provide you with the most accurate interpretation of your blood test results and treatment within 12 hours. Upload blood test report now

Some examples of conditions that increase or decrease CRP levels include:

• Ulcerative colitis

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Treat The Underlying Condition

The most important step you should take is to work with your doctor to determine why it is elevated, says Leann Poston, MD,medical advisor for Impakt Fitness. Treating the condition causing inflammation is essential to reducing an elevated CRP level. Depending on the underlying cause, the following may lower CRP levels.

What Is A Blood Test

By taking and testing a small sample of a persons blood, doctors can check for many kinds of diseases and conditions. Blood tests help doctors check how the bodys organs are working and see if medical treatments are helpful.

To help your child get ready for a blood test, find out if they need to fast or should stop taking medicines before the test. Explain what to expect during the test. If your child is anxious about it, work together on ways to stay calm.

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When Should You Have C

Checking the CRP level for the entire adult population is not recommended. Some experts recommend checking the serum CRP level routinely along with the cholesterol level however, although this is not widely accepted. Ideally, for cardiac risk testing, it is advisable to use the average between two separate CRP levels drawn two weeks part.

More importantly, the CRP level can provide additional information about an individuals cardiovascular risk in conjunction with other known cardiac risk factors, such as,

• cholesterol-lowering medication.

People with elevated C-reactive protein levels may be advised by their treating doctors. Statin drugs are at the forefront of the recommended cholesterol-lowering agents. Lowering of CRP may be seen with the use of statin drugs even without significant improvement of the cholesterol profile.

Reduction of CRP level has also been noted in individuals with known cardiovascular disease who begin aspirin therapy. In those without known cardiovascular disease or significant risk factors for it, aspirin use is not generally recommended. Some diabetic medications have also been shown to reduce CRP levels in people with or without diabetes mellitus. This effect was seen independent of their glucose-lowering effects.

How Is Sepsis Treated

The most important concern in sepsis is quick diagnosis and prompt treatment. Patients diagnosed with severe sepsis are usually placed in the intensive care unit of the hospital for special treatment. The doctor will first try to identify the source and the type of infection, obtain blood and urine tests and X-rays or CT scans, and give the patient antibiotics to treat the infection.

IV fluids are administered to prevent blood pressure from dropping too low. In some cases, the patient may need vasopressor medications to reach an adequate blood pressure. And finally, if organ failures occur, the patient will receive the appropriate supportive care .

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When A Doctor May Order A Crp Test

Your physician may order a C-reactive protein test if you have symptoms of a serious bacterial or viral infection, such as:

• Fever or chills
• Irregular heart rate
• Rapid breathing

Your physician may also request a CRP test to monitor ongoing treatment if youve been diagnosed with a chronic autoimmune disease like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis to monitor for level of current inflammation. If treatment is working, inflammation and C-reactive protein levels should drop.

Typically, CRP tests are fast and accurate. However, if you have only slightly elevated C-reactive protein levels, the test can be challenging to interpret because of numerous potential conditions that can cause this effect. High CRP is a biomarker, meaning its one factor to consider when assessing someones health, but it does not give a source of inflammation. A high CRP level is not a stand-alone diagnosis.

Because primary healthcare providers cannot always draw solid conclusions from levels of C-reactive protein alone, they may also order other tests to provide a more comprehensive overview of your health.

Hidden Causes Of High C Reactive Protein

Biljana Novkovic, PhDJonathan Ritter, PharmD, PhD Puya Yazdi, MDBiljana Novkovic, PhD

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What Are Other Causes Of Chills

As many as two in three people experience chills and shivering after receiving general anesthesia for a surgery. Even if you arent feeling cold, a drop in body temperature may cause you to shiver as you come out of the anesthesia.

Some people tremble from a surge of adrenaline after a traumatic event like an accident or near accident. Psychological trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder , may also make you feel shaky.