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Clinicians often check C-reactive protein (CRP) levels to assess systemic inflammation in patients with an infection. However, CRP is a nonspecific marker and is of unclear value in predicting response to therapy. In a prospective study, investigators examined the utility of serial CRP measurements for predicting clinical outcomes among patients with left-sided native-valve endocarditis.
The 123 participants were referred to the study center from 23 hospitals in the Netherlands between November 1, 2000, and October 31, 2003. CRP measurements were obtained at the beginning of antimicrobial therapy and three times weekly until the end of treatment. Patients were followed for 3 months after the end of antibiotic therapy to determine whether the…