Modeling C-reactive protein kinetic profiles for use as a clinical prediction tool in patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.

Aim: We hypothesized that C-reactive protein (CRP) kinetics can be accurately modeled and might have clinical utility in a cohort of patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.

Materials & Methods: We constructed and validated a nonlinear mixed effects model using CRP values obtained during the first week of illness.

Results: Hematological malignancy, prosthetic heart valves and metastatic seeding were identified as major covariates that influenced CRP kinetics.