Assessment of C Reactive Protein in Pediatric Bacterial meningitis: A cross-sectional study.

Background and Objectives: Bacterial meningitis (BM) poses a considerable global public health concern. C-reactive protein (CRP) has emerged as a viable diagnostic marker, particularly in differentiating bacterial and aseptic meningitis, especially in cases where bacterial culture results are negative in both blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples. The present study was done with the primary objective of estimating the serum CRP levels in pediatric meningitis cases caused by bacterial pathogens. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study was undertaken at a renowned tertiary care hospital in India, involving the evaluation of 222 samples. Cerebrospinal fluid samples were collected following standard guidelines, and bacterial identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were carried out using an automated system. Quantitative estimation of CRP levels was performed using a solid-phase, sandwich-format immunometric assay employing a gold antibody conjugate. Results: The study cohort consisted of pediatric meningitis cases with a median age of 3.9 years, ranging from 1 to 4.6 years. Among the bacterial isolates, Escherichia coli was identified as the most prevalent pathogen, followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae. Notably, 31.32% of the participants exhibited elevated serum CRP levels. Moreover, a statistically significant association was observed between elevated serum CRP levels and cases with Gram-negative bacterial etiology. Conclusion: Elevated serum CRP can serve as a valuable diagnostic marker for identifying pediatric bacterial meningitis cases with a Gram-negative etiology. The utilization of CRP as a diagnostic adjunct can aid in timely and accurate differentiation between bacterial and aseptic meningitis, facilitating appropriate clinical management and improved patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]