C-reactive protein in the early diagnosis of pneumonia complicating severe blunt chest trauma.

INTRODUCTION

The early diagnosis of pneumonia following severe blunt chest trauma (SBCT) allows the early prescription of antibiotics and initiation of adequate supportive care.

AIM: To assess the usefulness of C-reactive protein (CRP) in the early diagnosis of pneumonia complicating SBCT.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective study of patients admitted to trauma intensive care unit for SBCT between January 2020 and February 2023. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether or not they developed pneumonia. The CRP levels were monitored daily.

RESULTS

One hundred sixty-seven patients were included. Pneumonia occurred in 40.1% of patients within a median of 5 days. We found statistically significant difference in mean CRP levels between groups from day 3 to day 9 following trauma. The increase in CRP level on the 4th day from a value greater than or equal to 192 mg/L was a marker of early diagnosis of pneumonia (sensitivity 80.6%; specificity 80.8%).

CONCLUSION

Daily CRP measurement from the 3rd day following SBCT may be useful for early diagnosis of pneumonia complicating SBCT.