CRP in Dehradun

What is a CRP?

C-Reactive Protein is made by the liver in response to inflammation anywhere in the body, and its defining quality is speed. Levels begin rising within about six hours of an inflammatory trigger and can climb a hundredfold or more within a day or two, then fall just as quickly once the cause resolves. That responsiveness makes CRP genuinely useful for two things: judging whether something active is happening right now, and following whether treatment is working. It is deliberately non-specific. A raised CRP says inflammation exists; it does not say where or why. Bacterial infection typically produces the highest values, often well above 100 mg/L, while viral illness usually produces a milder rise, which is one reason doctors use it to help judge whether an antibiotic is warranted. It also rises with injury, surgery, burns, rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune disease, and after a heart attack. Note that ordinary CRP is a different test from high-sensitivity CRP, which measures the very low range used in cardiovascular risk assessment rather than in acute illness.

Why take this test?

A CRP test is advised for fever where the cause is not yet clear, for unexplained pain, swelling or joint stiffness, and where infection is suspected but its severity is uncertain. It is widely used to distinguish a likely bacterial infection, which tends to drive CRP high, from a viral one, which usually does not, and so to inform whether an antibiotic is genuinely needed. It is a standard tool for following a known inflammatory or autoimmune condition such as rheumatoid arthritis, where a falling CRP is objective evidence that treatment is controlling disease activity, and for monitoring recovery after surgery, where a rising CRP can be the earliest sign of a post-operative infection. It is frequently paired with ESR, since the two behave differently over time and the combination distinguishes a new problem from a long-standing one better than either alone.

• Fever where the cause is not yet clear
• Unexplained pain, swelling or joint stiffness
• Judging whether an infection is likely bacterial or viral
• Monitoring rheumatoid arthritis or another autoimmune condition
• Watching for infection after surgery
• Following whether treatment for an infection is working

Normal reference ranges

Ranges are indicative for adults. Your report carries the lab-specific reference range and is reviewed by a LabONE pathologist; always interpret results with your doctor.

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