Sensitivity of C-reactive protein for the identification of patients with laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections in northern Tanzania.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Identifying febrile patients requiring antibacterial treatment is challenging, particularly in low-resource settings. In South-East Asia, C-reactive protein (CRP) has been demonstrated to be highly sensitive and moderately specific in detecting bacterial infections and to safely reduce unnecessary antibacterial prescriptions in primary care. As evidence is scant in sub-Saharan Africa, we assessed the sensitivity of CRP in identifying serious bacterial infections in Tanzania.

Methods

Samples were obtained from inpatients and outpatients in a prospective febrile illness study at two hospitals in Moshi, Tanzania, 2011-2014. Bacterial bloodstream infections (BSI) were established by blood culture, and bacterial zoonotic infections were defined by ≥4 fold rise in antibo

SUBMITTER: Althaus T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7265697 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature