Key result
Following elective orthopaedic surgery in children, CRP levels peaked at a mean of 7.3 mg/dL on day 3 and returned to normal in all patients by 3 weeks.
Why the study?
Does C-reactive protein return to normal within 3 weeks following elective orthopaedic surgery in children?
Observational (n=22)
Does C-reactive protein return to normal within 3 weeks following elective orthopaedic surgery in children?
In children undergoing elective orthopaedic surgery, CRP levels rise variably but return to normal within 3 weeks, providing a baseline to help identify postoperative infections.
May support CRP normalization by 3 weeks as a baseline for infection monitoring in children; leaves open prospective validation in infected cohorts.
The purpose of this study was to describe the pediatric C-reactive protein (CRP) response following orthopaedic surgery, specifically addressing whether CRP values in children return to normal within 3 weeks as they do in adults. Children undergoing elective orthopaedic procedures had serum CRP values measured before surgery and then on days 3, 7, and 21 after surgery. These intervals were chosen to assess the rise, fall, and return to normal of CRP levels. Twenty-two children were studied. CRP levels on day 3 varied from normal to 22.2 mg/dL (mean 7.3 mg/dL), on day 7 they averaged 2.2 mg/dL, and at 3 weeks all values were normal. None of the patients had postoperative infections. The authors concluded that the CRP rise in children may be more varied than in adults. In children, CRP levels return to normal within 3 weeks after surgery. This information can be useful in identifying postoperative infections in children.
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Limpisvasti et al. (2004) conducted an observational in Elective orthopaedic surgery (n=22). Elective orthopaedic surgery was evaluated on CRP levels on days 3, 7, and 21 after surgery. Following elective orthopaedic surgery in children, CRP levels peaked at a mean of 7.3 mg/dL on day 3 and returned to normal in all patients by 3 weeks.