Abstract
Background Acute lower respiratory tract infections are the most frequent reason for seeking medical attention in primary and secondary care. They are caused by viruses, bacteria or combination of both, present with similar symptoms. Evaluation of C-reactive protein (CRP), Procalcitonin (PCT), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and white blood cells (WBC) and their relations are the best and fastest methods to decide needing for antimicrobial therapy. Although, they are golden rules in assessment of effective used antibiotics.
Methods: Using preferred procedure we measured serum level of CRP, PCT, ESR, WBC in all children, admitted in intensive care unit with clinical signs of lover respiratory tract infection, in admission and after 5 and 10 days of treatment.
Results During the period 03.01.2008 to 03.07.2009 in PICU in Prishtina, Kosova, were treated 128 children, less than 6 months of age, with lower respiratory tract infection, clinically with predomination of bronchiolitis (96 cases). In all children were done lab analyses; special point in differential diagnosis we used serum level of CRP, PCT, ERS and WBC in admission and after 5 days of hospitalization. As referential values are used international levels. All children with bronchopneumonia in admission and after 5 days have positive results in all tests but after 10 days of treatment the positive are only ESR and particularly WBC. Only a few children with bronchiolitis have positive all tests in admission and after 5 days (probably bronchiolitis complicated with bronchopneumonia), and they have been treated by antimicrobiotic.
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Bejiqi, R., Retkoceri, R., Bejiqi, H. et al. 888 Measurement of Crp, Pct, Esr and Wbc in Lower Respiratory Tract Infection. Pediatr Res 68 (Suppl 1), 445 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-201011001-00888
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-201011001-00888