Accuracy of commercially available c-reactive protein rapid tests in the context of undifferentiated fevers in rural Laos.

Background: C-Reactive Protein (CRP) has been shown to be an accurate biomarker for discriminating bacterial from viral infections in febrile patients in Southeast Asia. Here we investigate the accuracy of existing rapid qualitative and semi-quantitative tests as compared with a quantitative reference test to assess their potential for use in remote tropical settings.

Methods: Blood samples were obtained from consecutive patients recruited to a prospective fever study at three sites in rural Laos.