Role of C-reactive protein in deciding duration of antibiotic therapy in neonatal septicemia.

In this study serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were used to evaluate the duration of antibiotic therapy in 50 consecutive neonates with suspected septicemia. In 44 percent of cases therapy was stopped on 3rd day, as CRP was normal. In 8 percent antibiotics could be stopped within 5-7 days as CRP values returned to normal and in 48 percent therapy was extended beyond 7th day, as CRP values were high or rising persistently. Negative predictive value of serial CRP was 100 percent in deciding duration of antibiotic therapy in suspected neonatal septicemia up to 7 days. The correlation between positive CRP, raised micro ESR and positive blood culture was significant (p < 0.005).