C-reactive protein velocity to distinguish febrile bacterial infections from non-bacterial febrile illnesses in the emergency department.

Introduction: C-reactive protein (CRP) is a real-time and low-cost biomarker to distinguish febrile bacterial infections from non-bacterial febrile illnesses. We hypothesised that measuring the velocity of the biomarker instead of its absolute serum concentration could enhance its ability to differentiate between these two conditions.

Methods: We prospectively recruited adult patients (age >or= 18 years) who presented to the emergency department with fever.