value of C-reactive protein in children with meningitis

A 6-years prospective study was carried out on 339 infants and children with clinical suspicion of meningitis of febrile convulsion where C-reactive protein [CRP] determination was done for all patients. The patients were divided into four groups. The serum CRP was positive in 16 of 111 children with viral meningitis, in 50 of 65 with culture-proved bacterial meningitis, in 10 of 17 with partially treated meningitis, and in two of 146 with a first attack of febrile convulsion. The test was nonspecific for routine application, and it was not sensitive for the early differentiation of bacterial, viral, and partially treated meningitis although CRP assay may be a useful additional parameter in the differentiation of various type of meningitis